Tales of Remnant: Memories & Interludes
by Roses Bride
Summary: Begginings and Endings are important, but often people end up forgetting that the parts of the middle, the hardworking, awkward or painful parts in between are the ones that make the journey worthwile... This is will be a series of one-shots for the Remnant of Earth series, some of them will be set in between volumes, others will be flashbacks or backstories.
1. 00 - A Casual Notification

"Our greatest condolences," said one of the soldiers', clammed in a stark white uniform, expecting for them to be allowed entrance. They seemed to understand that they were the last thing anyone wanted to see, and certainly not expected when Yusho opened the door that morning.

 _'So, this is it.'_ That was the only thought that crossed his mind after recovering from the double-take.

Everything afterwards was done in almost quiet efficiency. The Special Operative soldiers – and so young, barely graduated it seemed – denied his offering for some tea or coffee and went straight to business: some scouts had found what was believed to be a belonging of Yoko's, and they needed his confirmation to close the case file.

He swallowed over and over while they opened the package to reveal a piece of white cloth, and his anniversary gift: her Pendulum.

One minute, two minutes, and he swallowed what felt like a rock.

"Sir, we will understand if you need a couple minutes to gather yourself. There is still plenty of… paperwork to go through," one of them said. His bright blue eyes caught his attention but only because it was the same shade as the jewel. Other than those at the moment he felt as if he was seeing through a filter. Everything looked white, black and blurry and then his vision started to spin, however he looked at the moment. It seemed to worry the soldiers as they got up their seats to assault him with questions, but he didn't answer.

Everything was muffled as if he was drowning.

Then, as if fate was trying to add salt to the injury, there was that particular creaking their wooden door always made.

"Dad, I'm home!" Even Yuya's voice sounded slightly out of tune for him, and his bright hair, clothes and smile almost blinded him.

He was barely done with kicking off his shoes at the entrance when he caught sight of the soldiers in the living room, and his eyes moved to the glint on the coffee table.

Then, Yuya also became part of the monochrome setting.

Yusho saw the way he left his backpack all but forgotten at the entrance and stormed over to the soldiers. It seemed like he was talking or yelling. He didn't know his voice joining the nonsensical noise assaulted his ear drums. He saw Yuya grab the Pendulum and push past the soldiers to disappear upstairs.

"Mr. Sakaki? Are you listening?" he heard the blue-eyed ask.

"Y-yes, I am."

"Good, I apologize then for causing such a disturbance in your home. We were just doing our jobs," he finished.

"I understand," he lied. He didn't understand, he only realized now that he _never_ did. Over ten years of marriage with Yoko had not helped.

"We will be back in the village until noon next week. Please be sure to contact me when or if you feel ready to fill out some reports."

"I will," he responded gripping his knees.

...

"Yuya, can I come in?" The question was met with silence, but as he tried to press his ear to the door, he almost tripped: the door was open.

And there his boy was slumped, over himself on top of the bed. The quiet sobs he heard were enough to make him regret coming in at a bad time, but it was too late for Yuya had noticed him.

"Mom… won't come back home?" he asked with his head still hung low.

"I'm afraid not." He neared the bed and sat on the corner, wondering if he could hold Yuya. He looked like he needed it; they both did.

"Why did she leave us again?" he asked. "If she didn't leave…"

"You shouldn't think like that. If you only think on the ' _ifs'_ you'll drive yourself mad."

"…" The only answer was muffled sounds of hopefully understanding.

"And you know why she had to leave," he started. "It was an important mission, that's why she was called, remember? Mommy is a hero." He wished he could believe it. He still remembered the argument over said mission.

 _'Why don't you understand? I'm only one who can do this!'_

…And it seemed to have a similar effect on Yuya as he delved into another crying fit. He was easier to placate when he was little. He had never been prone to tantrums either; no, that would come later. Right now, he needed reassurance, consolation, anything.

A treacherous thought crossed his mind then: with Yoko gone – this time for good – who would ever console _him_ now? His eyes landed on the Pendulum which Yuya was still holding in his hand.

"You know what I told your mother when I gave this to her?" he asked, gently removing the necklace from the boy's hands. "I told her that she was just like a Pendulum." Even without looking at his face, Yusho could feel the child's plaintive look, asking for answers. "Remember how she was always full of energy? But she once told me what she thought was her greatest weakness: she didn't know how to use it. It was unfocused, waiting for a direction; a purpose. That's why she became a huntress, but even then she thought herself a fraud for letting people think she never had doubts or fears. So I gave her this and I told her: like a Pendulum, if you swing forward you'll end up swinging back too. It's normal for it to happen, but it's better than not doing anything at all."

"So… Mom was a hero not because she was fearless, but because she was always doing good things for other people?" Yuya asked, a little more composed it seemed.

"Yes, exactly. If you curl because of fear, you won't be able to do anything. The more courage you put into things, the more happiness you'll get out of them."

"…And I can be like that too?" Yuya asked, scooping closer to him. _Like mom_ , he meant. So Yusho grabbed him into a hug before answering.

"Of course you can! And Mom would be so proud too," he answered, holding the child close to him. Yuya seemed to relax at his words and let himself be coddled for a few minutes, then he peeked up from the tight embrace, a question in his eyes.

"So can I be a Huntsman too?!" he asked, eyes still watery and red rimmed from tears. He should just answer yes, or maybe a non-committal _'maybe'_ or _'If you work hard enough,'_ but all Yusho felt was his stomach dropping to his feet as he put some distance between him and Yuya in order to look him straight in the eye.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

Just as the negative words slipped past his lips, he saw Yuya tearing himself from him, betrayal in his eyes.

...

 _'Why did it turn out this way?'_

He was almost there, the tips of his fingers barely brushing against the scroll until he could finally grab it.

It felt like forever for the call to get through.

 _"Yusho? What is the matter?"_ asked Shuzo on the other end of the line.

"Yuya, is in the forest, you got to find him. He… he ran away," he explained with a croaky voice, the weight on his mid-side made him talk slower too.

 _"What?! Ok give me a minute and I'll alert the Scouts."_ And then the call was over, leaving him alone with his thoughts again.

Now he only needed to make a call to the ER.

As he explained the situation to the IA on the phone, he looked around the room. The bed had been turned over, the window broken where Yuya had jumped from, and there were pieces of broken stuff all over the floor.

Oh right, and there was a night stand resting on his lower half… maybe his leg was broken.

"PLEASE STAND BY AND WAIT FOR THE AMBULANCE TO ATTEND TO YOU. DON'T TRY TO MOVE, I REPEAT DON'T TRY TO MOVE OR FIX YOUR INJURY IN THEIR ABSENCE."

Why did it turn out this way?

...

"That will be all. Thank you for meeting with me," he said to the man. "You need to give these papers to the local Social Security office, so you can start getting your compensation ASAP," he added and immediately regretted it as the polite smile fell from his face.

"Thank you," he simply said, and Edo wondered if he should feel guilty over the gratefulness of not being on the receiving end of a rant.

"I meant it," he continued to the now widowed man. "When I offered my condolences, Yoko was one of the greatest huntresses Remnant had ever been graced with. She will be severely missed and hard to replace," he finished.

"Please, I will be more thankful if you spare me and my son of these honor bound customs. We will attend the official ceremony but that will be all. And I beg you to keep my family out of this whole hunter's business from now on," he said, face downcast.

Edo, for his part, was livid. He didn't care that this man was Yoko's husband, nor that he was mourning. He would not allow such disrespect to his kin.

"I will choose to overlook that childish retort, Mr. Sakaki, because of the current circumstances, but if you happen to make such comments at the ceremony, we will not hesitate to remove you from it."

He was caught off-guard by a low chuckle.

"It's funny, you know? She used to call me childish, too, whenever I tried to talk her out of what I believed was a dangerous mission, and now here we are, filling _'casual notification'_ papers over her death, and you are worried about protocol? About finding Yoko's replacement? I think I'd rather be childish," he said with another chuckle, and Edo was rather thankful for his training because he could feel the bile rising in his throat.

But also the embarrassed blush starting to form at the base of his nape.

"You dare to…? I understand that you must be grieving Mr. Sakaki, but I will not have disrespecting the very duty your wife died upholding. What would you have us do then? Close the Academies? Let the walls down so the Grimms can roam free? You owe that very life of yours, of your _precious son_ , to the work of people like Yoko."

Apparently, it was the wrong thing to say. With great effort, Yusho Sakaki stood up, grabbed his cane, and opened the door.

"If you understood, you wouldn't talk like that and …I'm afraid I cannot give you the answer you want."

That was the first of many times Edo's night was robbed of sleep.

* * *

Welp that was quite a downer wasn't it, I promise not all of them will be like that.

For those who may be wondering, Yuya is 12 in this, Yoko had already gone missing, but there was actual confirmation of her death just yet ...although Yusho already expected it.


	2. 01 - Restroom Breaks

"Why couldn't we gather at one of our dorms?" asked Yuya from his spot on the linoleum floor.

"Because the dorms aren't allowed to host over six people since there would be a fire hazard. Besides, it would get too crowded," he answered.

"No offense, but how is being squeezed in the library's bathroom any better?" asked Yaiba.

"It's not _that small_ , and almost no one uses it so we will not be disturbed," he responded.

After some grumbling, they seemed to settle in a preferred spot in the place. Yuya remained in the floor, Gongenzaka was next to the window, Yuzu chose to perch herself on the sinks while Masumi leaned against the door, Sawatari and Hokuto had briefly argued over a spot next to one of the stalls, and Yaiba just crouched on the floor.

Now they could talk.

"First things first, have all of you been filled in about each other side of the story?" he asked, then they all fell silent and a bit down casted, but nodded nonetheless.

"In that case, let us discuss what we know. Maybe we can piece something… coherent out of this together."

"The White Fang is involved, no doubt about that, but …I don't think it was out of choice," spoke Yuzu first. "Not just for _them_ , but that Torchwick guy. He was calling them animals and making crude comments about their traits, and if they are as radical as they claim to be, they wouldn't associate with him unless…" she trailed off, clearly not understanding what could push people like that to work together.

"They had a common enemy," added Masumi. "It is no secret that the White Fang is very much an anti-government group and who else would benefit from their fall? Answer: all the scum from the underworld and the black market."

"That is a probable cause, but there is an issue: the White Fang is not anti-government," he countered.

"What do you mean?" asked Gongenzaka. "Even in Patch all we heard from them is how they raid trade routes, assault innocent people and cause general disturbance."

"Yeah and you guys didn't hear all of it. Supposedly they also train people from young age to fight in their altercations with the police and the military," said Sawatari.

Reiji on his part had to withhold an annoyed sigh. Maybe they did, maybe not; but how was that any different from enlisting thirteen year olds into combat schools?

"Can we get back on topic?" asked Yaiba, before the discussion could devolve into full-blown debate.

"Yeah, what do you mean with that?" asked Yuya.

"Look, let's just say that my family and Leo Corps has had more than just a few… contretemps with the White Fang since I have memory of it. However, even after they shifted to a more extremist mindset, they never hurt innocents if they could help it," he finished.

"What about the raids?" asked Hokuto.

"They were after Dust and weapons, besides these are guarded by Atlesian Knights, and the few casualties were out of wayward bullets, from _both_ sides."

"What about the public assaults? The …you know executions?" questioned Yaiba now.

"I concede that those are not unheard off however I can tell you that at least half of them where the result harassment and death threats to the Faunus." Also they were almost never properly investigated, so hardly anyone ever learned of the actual responsible people or motives.

"Let me guess, all the 'terrorizing innocents' and bomb-thrower anarchist is a rouse right? Or some media watchdog thing?" asked Masumi.

"Precisely." It was also malicious slander paid by Leo Corps, but it wasn't relevant at the moment. "Albeit known to be extreme even among Faunus, in fact in the past they were – and I suspect still are – in favor of raising the social security and welfare kingdom programs."

"So it makes no sense for them to associate with criminals you say?" wondered out loud Sawatari.

"Not exactly," he answered. "What is the only thing that in raw need rises above ideological stances?"

"Say what?" asked Yuya.

"He means what makes people on opposing sides unify." Cleared up Gongenzaka.

"Besides a common enemy? That's easy: money," answered Sawatari. "What? It's true," he exclaimed when he noticed their stares.

"Isn't too …simple?" asked Yaiba.

"Maybe that's the point? In detective novels, when all the crazy theories have been disproven, the most basic answer is the correct one and it even works as a twist too, right?" he asked while scratching his head.

"Yes it is." Reiji said, giving Yuya a nod. "So taking all of this into account, I believe that the people behind the abductions are either outsourcing or contracting the White Fang to do their dirty work and once it gets out of the bag…" He stopped to see if anyone would catch onto it.

"…they will throw them under the bus?" asked Yuzu, though it sounded more like a statement of fact.

"Most likely, or they will if they haven't already, I don't think I need to remind you about Heartland" he said, it had been bothering him since the conference as well.

"Ok, ok I get it. Heartland, the White Fang, money, people going missing and all that. I know it's serious, and as I hate to bring this to you, but as students there's not much we do about it _right_ _ **now**_ …" He stopped a little, releasing a bitter sigh. "So maybe we should focus on less wide-scale issues, like I don't know, how about the fact that apparently while I was fighting a couple crazy twins, you were chilling with a couple of body doubles?" complained Hokuto, ruffling his own hair.

"We were not chilling with them," argued Sawatari, rubbing his chest a little bit. "I still have the bruises to prove it."

"You know that's not what I meant. But what gives? Do we know anything about that? Yuya, Yuzu, you don't happen to have long lost Faunus relatives, do you?" he asked to them now, and Reiji didn't miss the slight flinch both of them made along with… Masumi?

Still as much of a joke it sounded like, a small part of Reiji had considered the idea as well, so he joined in on the expectant looks of the others.

"I… don't know what to tell you guys. I mean, Gongenzaka," spoke Yuya, directing to his partner, "you've know us for years. We practically grew up together. You know we aren't hiding anything, right?" he begged.

"Yuya, you misunderstand us. We don't mean to say you are hiding something. We just mean to ask if… Well Yuzu, you've never known your mother, have you?" he said to her now.

"No, I haven't. I suppose that's a possibility," she said, sinking her shoulders a little bit. "I don't even know her face, so I don't know if I take after her that much."

"Uh, sorry if this awkward to talk about. Maybe-" started Yaiba.

"Don't worry. It's not like I can miss someone I've never met," she reassured him, waving her hands and shrugging away the apology, but something about it seemed forced to Reiji.

"Well, at least we can discard Yuya. He is like a younger version of Yusho Sakaki," said Masumi.

And before Yuya's scowl could completely set on his face, Yuzu spoke:

"Well not totally. He has his mom's smile and her complexion, even his dad says so."

"Whatever. It's a moot point because we are at an impasse," Hokuto said.

"A what?" asked Yuya and Sawatari in unison.

"We are at a dead-end," Reiji explained to them. "We can't solve the mystery because we don't have all the data"

They fell into silence for several minutes afterwards, and since it was obvious the 'conference' fell through one by one they started to drift off. First Yaiba excused himself, saying that he had classes. Sawatari and Hokuto had a project together, and Masumi claimed she would go to lunch after a loud grumble was heard.

Really, even if none of those were true, Reiji could understand the need to get away.

The rest of them stayed for a while longer. He saw Yuya taking Yuzu's hand making her step down from her current seat on the sink to sit next to Yuya and let him lean his head on her shoulder. Gongenzaka walked to them and seated himself behind them, his frame so broad that he could put each of his hands on their shoulders without breaking their embrace.

They never spoke or even crossed eyes. They just settled themselves into each other with the same ease they always had. Reiji sometimes envied that ease of comfort. At other times, it just puzzled him or made him feel like an intruder.

He assorted in his head the different things he needed to get done today, thinking over which one sounded less like an excuse.

"Reiji?" he heard someone ask, pulling him out of his thoughts. It was Yuzu. She looked like she wanted to say something, and he didn't feel comfortable making her look up, so he sat on the floor next to them. There was some distance between him and the group, and had a leg popped up. "Thank you. I know this didn't exactly turn out like we wanted, but I know you tried," she said, dislodging herself a little from Yuya, in good time it seemed because he looked half sleep.

"*Yawn* Yeah, I mean this is really crazy, and maybe I don't have a feeling that we are about to have some crazier days happening, especially about that Heartland stuff, but… at least we can count on each other. I know we started on the wrong foot, but I wanted you to know I'm trying to understand too. I want to understand," he said, looking a little bashful.

"Yes, we have already committed the mistake of thinking that we could be intruders to someone else's lives if we try to help." Reiji felt a little pang at this. "But we need to get past that. We will just run into circles if we don't even try," spoke Gongenzaka.

"I… appreciate the trust. I will do my utmost best not to slip again," he found himself saying and it felt _weird_ , and dare he say awkward, saying it. But he realized that he felt like that precisely because he meant it.

He felt something brushing against his wrist; a hand barely on top of his. It was probably Yuzu's because it felt calloused and small, and the band of her bracelet felt a bit cold in sharp contrast with her warmth.

He didn't mind. Instead, he lowered his leg.

* * *

So I wanted to have a chapter where they talked about this ...mostly to make clear that in their current status there is not much they can do, in this AU Reiji doesn't have full control of the Leo Corps and is just as impeded as the rest of them, and as Hokuto and Reiji stated as well: no good can come up of involving in this without knowing the full story or implications.

I also included a bit of heart soothing at the end because I didn't want to end it on a fully depressing note :)


	3. 02 - Hungry Hearts - Act 1 -

Yoko had not put much thought into where she could grab a bite to eat.

The Intel mission had been complete and the witnesses been dealt with. She had been given a week to complete it, but by skipping her meals and cutting down her sleeping hours, she had been able to complete it in three days. Her broker had been efficient and the target had been careless; she hadn't seen the need to drag it out longer than necessary.0

Plus, having something to eat on contractor's time and money was never a bad thing.

When she entered the place, however, she felt so very out of place. From the outside, it looked like a regular bar and dinner, but inside it looked like some sort of music club where there seemed to be all types of characters: from jazz musicians with everything and their sunglasses and suits, to garish-looking rockers.

Then again, the way people hardly seemed to notice her entrance and looking down at her own red and white attire, maybe even her weapons didn't stand out that much in this crowd.

Once she took a seat on the far away most shadow covered table, she took notice of the girl who was still singing. It was a Faunus girl who looked so young and small that for moment, Yoko couldn't help her instincts to kick in and search for the guilty party who had brought her into a place like this.

She relaxed when she noticed that she looked an awful lot like the bartender – also a Faunus - who was no doubt the owner of the place. He must have been a manager, because she noticed hisname tag read _'Jeff',_ and had the very same cartoonish face plastered on the menu.

"Bring me the grilled steak and some sake please," she told the server, who gave a little leap at her barking voice.

"E-excuse me, would you like a song?" asked the boy.

"A song?" Why on earth would she add that to a food order?

"It's part of the service," he answered after gulping. "Just so you know, you don't have to by the way, I'm just r-required to let the customers know so-" The poor kid was almost hiding behind the menu now.

"Fine, fine a song eh?" She asked, trying to give him a break and noticing for the first time that there was a list of songs on the back of the menu. "How about…this one?" she said pointing to a random song,

"R-right away Mam! I'll let the performers know then!" he responded.

 _'Performers? But there was just the one…'_ she thought, until she caught sight of the piano man at the bottom of the stage.

Unlike the singer, he did look old enough to be working there. In fact, he looked to be as old as her, with a tan skin tone and a wild mop of black hair that shone greenish under the faint lighting of the place. He looked to be fully dedicated to his task as his hands moved graciously over the keyboard.

 _"…Yellow beauty burns….gold"_

Yoko was never too much of a music fan, much less knowledgeable about the subject, but the girl's voice was pretty enough and even she could tell that with enough practicing, she could probably make it as a professional singer.

Or at least she would, if she wasn't a Faunus.

Cute or sexy Faunus girls could make it out in the entertainment industry if their animal traits were subtle enough, or appealing, like cat, dog or bear girls. However, while this particular girl had some scales on her face and arms that could play up the sexy factor, she also had some really noticeable gills on her neck and shoulders that no make-up could possibly cover.

It was a shame really; she had a really nice voice.

When her food arrived, she forgot everything about songs, music or casual racism and dove in, feeling famished once the smell reached her nostrils.

"Good job today! Here's your meal." She heard from the table right next to hers. "Sorry, just this today. It's been a slow day," the voice responded to an unheard question.

To her surprise, it was the pianist with a meager bowl of soup and a glass of water. Looking at him up close, she noticed that his suit was actually quite worn down, and his uneven stubble seemed to be more because of lack of time (or resources?) than an aesthetic choice.

That, and he looked like he had not eaten in the whole day.

"Hey boy!" she yelled at the server, and looking for the biggest looking dish on the menu - "Here, bring this to the table number five," she said, handing him the scribbled napkin. "Don't say anything though, also let him drink whatever he wants," she quickly added.

"Right away ma'am," he answered her.

Her client would most likely raise an eyebrow or both when she'd deliver the expenses list, but at the moment, when she sneaked a look at him and his amazed look at the dish – an assortment of meats and stew it seemed – she couldn't find it in herself to care in the slightest.

After she finished her meal, she motioned for the server boy to come over and bring the check.

"But the song you ordered has not played yet…"

"No worries, I'll still pay for it," she reassured him, remembering the pianist more than the song. "And leave a tip for the girl and the piano man."

"Please, I insist for you to stay. It's just about to play," he stammered, checking some list that must have been the music program.

"…Fine, but feel free to use my table. I will hang out at the bar," she conceded.

Once she ordered a glass of water – it wouldn't do to report while drunk – she was seated and noticed the owner stealing glances at her.

"You know, we don't get lots of renowned huntresses around here; just the less than stellar ones," he spoke, never stopping to serve drinks.

"How do you know I'm not one of them?" Yoko wondered which ones he was talking about. Probably the ones that barely made it alive out of Hunter's Academies and had to survive doing odd jobs, often illegal ones more fitted for burglars or common grunts.

"Oh, I think I know when I see a …star," he replied with a glint in his eyes.

"Good one," she admitted.

 _"Mirror… Tell me something,_

 _Tell me who is the loneliest of all."_

"Hey look, that's your song," he commented. "Feeling lonely tonight?" he asked, obviously teasing her.

"Careful there, or else I'll report you for child labor, even if it's your daughter," she said without meaning it.

"Oh, I'm not asking for myself," he remarked with a raised eyebrow. "Let's just say I'm not the only one whose eye you caught tonight." He actually winked at her.

She was about to answer his smartass retort with her own, but stopped when she heard the piano solo of the song. It was not the regular one. It had all types of new notes and arrangements that had her mouth going agape.

"He told me to say: The first was for me, this one is for you," Jeff said.

As the solo finished and the girl started to sing again:

 _"Mirror, mirror, what's behind you?  
Save me from the things I see!"_

 _'The nerve of that man,'_ she thought, swearing this was the last time she'd let herself be generous to a stranger.

"Well tell him he can-"

 _Mirror, mirror, tell me something,_ _  
who's the loneliest of all?_

 _'I'm the loneliest of all'_

"…Tell him he can shove it." She mutters, quickly making her way for the exit, where her good ol' bike waited for her.

Her heart stammering to such a speed that she was almost afraid of turning it on, afraid that the tears gathering at the corner of her eyes would cloud her view.

* * *

And here is the first part of Yoko and Yusho's love story which will be composed of four parts, next part will feature Yusho's pov and two special guests.


	4. 03 - Pieces

Every couple of years, Himika lost a little bit of her son. She wasn't completely sure how or even why it started to happen, but she did know when it began.

The first time she noticed his eyes drifting away from their home - from her - was when his grandfather – her father – passed away. It had not been apparent at the beginning, and she had assumed that he was just mourning, even though there wasn't much left of him to mourn. He had been left to the care of the medical staff due to his declining health, and had hardly resembled the man he had once been in his remaining time.

She had been aware that her own son spent some time with him, but she never paid any mind to it. That is, until the day when the head nurse had announced the death, and expressed worry forte little boy who wouldn't leave his room afterwards.

It wasn't like he locked himself in it; he just stopped using the play room. Since he got out for his study duties, his meals, and maybe if the nurse hadn't told her, Himika wouldn't have noticed something was amiss.

At least until the day of the funeral, where Reiji had insisted to let him bury a little toy soldier – that she only learned years after had been a gift from the old man – inside the coffin. The way his usually fully focused eyes stared at her, only this time they seemed to stare partly past her, to somewhere that was lost to her vision.

The second time had been when Reira had arrived. He had been highly curious about the baby, which had her doing a subtle double take because Reiji had not behaved interested in the subject when she informed him a couple months prior that he would be an older brother; she explained to him that he would be expected to set an example for the baby. He had only stared at her and asked when that would be and if she had decided on a name yet.

It wasn't lost to her, the fast flicker in his eyes when she told him in less than two months and the way he stole subtle glances at her abdomen for the rest of the dinner. She hadn't considered it necessary to explain the situation. Reiji had always been a smart boy; he would figure out eventually, if he hadn't already.

But then she had arrived home early one day and found him perched up into the cradle, staring in wonder at Reira for heavens know how long.

Himika hadn't remembered the last time she had seen her son smile so tenderly.

The third time, Reiji had been twelve and it was then that he had requested to be allowed to have a personal aide of his own. His reasoning was that he didn't feel like bothering the house staff with petty requests when they had the full state to take care off. At first, Himika had thought it appropriate and had praised Reiji for his thoughtfulness and insight.

After many, _many_ failures, they had found Nakajima.

He had been a dutiful employee from day one, never speaking out of line, never had a hair out of place or a single speck of dust on his uniform, and never failed to address everyone with the proper honorifics and respect.

It had been such a small thing, Himika could hardly believe that it had caught her attention at all. When Nakajima had given her the daily report on Reiji's activities, she noticed there was something wrapped around his wrist, slightly tinged with blood. It was a piece of silky white cloth which she recognized perfectly as Reiji's handkerchief.

Later that day, when Himika asked her son about it, he had told her that he lost it, not meeting her gaze in the slightest.

Years passed, and he turned fifteen. At Reiji's request, he had been allowed to unofficially start his apprenticeship at Leo Corps, two whole years before the usual. She tried to tell herself that it's not a hasty move, that he's not too young. She convinced herself that since her son had always been exceptional in everything he did, it only made sense that he wanted to start his early rise into the ranks. Perhaps if she showed him the power, status and reach of the company, it would be enough to sway him back to _her_ side.

The entrance of her son to Beacon's Academy had not come from Reiji, but from her beloved husband, and it sliced through her in a way she hadn't expected. He had been training for a long time, building his own personalized weapon from scratch (a true accomplishment in itself). It was a business opportunity and good way to better the reputation of the family; how a person close to Ozpin would finally be in their reach.

When Leo commanded Reiji to enter her office to fill them in on the details, she had not heard a word, and the only thought crossing her mind was that she had not noticed Reiji pierced his ears.

The weeks after his departure to Vale, Himika had surprised herself by slipping back on her old work routine. There were no major changes on the working of the schools _everything_ was coming along perfectly. Their brief meeting in Vale had been nothing but business; she had only wanted for Reiji to remember about … choosing wisely who should he trust in.

As predicted, the stock market raised prices when the Vytal Festival was announced, only to drop again when the so called ' _Disappearance of Heartland'_ Scandal broke out again, but it wouldn't be the first nor the last crisis Leo Corps faced.

When he arrived home, she hardly registered it, and it pained her to admit she had hardly noticed his absence.

"So what can you tell me about your team?" she asked him one day.

"We are progressing, mother, and we expect to participate in the Vytal Festival," he simply said; such a clipped and direct answer, appropriate too.

However, she wasn't interested in that.

"And your teammates? It is my understanding that you share living quarters with them. I would expect it is an …enlightening experience?" she asked, choosing her words carefully. It wouldn't do to have him notice her disgust at the thought.

And maybe it was because he was standing next to the window, but his eyes looked to the distance. So far away, that for a moment, she had feared he had gotten lost in thought. When he spoke again, there was an unfamiliar glint in his eyes.

Amusement? Intrigue? No, that couldn't be …Fondness?

"It is," he said, not elaborating on it, but he didn't need to.

Yes, over the years Himika had lost her son in little pieces, and now she had lost him completely.

* * *

So I really wanted to write something about Reiji's parents, but because of spoilery stuff I can quite write much about Leo without giving too much away just yet, so Himika was the chosen one here, and I'm actually quite proud of this little story.


	5. 04 - Hungry Hearts - Act 2 -

"Well, she told you to shove it," Jeff told him. "And, _please_ don't ask me where."

"Do you think it was too much?" he asked.

"...Don's ask me about that. You know what I think about your self-proclaimed image," he answered.

"…So she didn't like it," he commented, feeling himself deflating at the thought.

"Are you even listening?"

Yusho was almost, sort of aware of Jeff talking to him about something. It was probably important, considering how he kept throwing his hands into the air and the way his gills kept on contracting every few sentences, but his thoughts were only on blonde hair, green eyes and white garbs.

Or he was right, until the moment a dirty rag was thrown at his face.

"…I don't even know what you were thinking playing one of your tricks on Yoko the Shooting Star. We're lucky she didn't trash the place," he heard Jeff again.

"…Did you just say her name was Yoko?" he wondered at loud.

"Ugh, every damn time," he complained, rubbing his temples. "Casey, get in here and help me beat some sense into this fool!" he yelled.

Then the young girl who had been busy playing around with her new scroll – a gift from one of her 'fans' – raised her head and stared him dead in the eye.

"Mr. Sakaki, if you don't get your monthly crush under control, I will never sing for you again," she said with the most sing-song and chipper voice ever. "That goes for you too, dad."

"What?! Don't drag me into this. He's the lovesick fool!" her father protested.

"Are you going to pretend you didn't relay the message to the woman? Just as Mr. Sakaki asked you to?" she accused.

"…"

"Got you," she responded with a cheeky smile.

"…So you don't think she'll come back?" Yusho asked once they quieted down.

"NO!"

...

"You got to be freaking kidding me!" she heard him yell.

"I'm standing right here you know? And Mr. Sakaki is not too far away either," she said.

"Why is she here? Did she come to beat him up? To beat me up?" he asked, covering his mouth with his hand.

"…Or she just wants to eat something?" she supplied in a deadpan tone of voice.

"Why? Our food sucks. You're the only reason anyone ever comes back."

...

"Hello again ….ma'am?" she heard the boy ask hesitantly. Really, he could call her an old hag and she wouldn't mind in the slightest, but since he still looked scared out of his wits, she tried to indulge him.

"Whatever is fine?" She stopped for a minute. "Bring me the same as yesterday, and… Do you have the 'Vision' song? I know it's a rather new one …" She avoided looking at his face while asking this.

"Uh? I'll need to check with the singe- oh yeah, we do never mind it must have slipped my mind." The boy was a terrible liar.

"It's alright."

But when the food arrived, Yoko did nothing but eat a few bites and then started to play around with it. She kept sneaking around looks to the nearing tables every once in a while; you could never get too cautious and if the bartender had recognized her, then maybe more people had caught wind of her already.

 _'Then_ _maybe you shouldn't have come back here,'_ said a nagging voice at the back of her head. It probably was a bad idea since that was the sensible part of her talking, and whom she owed her life to more than a few times in the past year.

Maybe she should be worried that this particular voice had started to sound more and more like Ozpin's; sometimes, even a little bit like Shuzo's, because there was no way that the burning heart' comments came from the former.

Now that was a worrying train of thought. When was the last time she had contacted either of the two?

 _"It's no good. I feel like I'm lying, like a_ _Pierrot who hides his tears…"_

Oh, her song came early it seemed.

And there they were, the singing girl and the piano man. She tried to get a better look at the man, but he looked concentrated as he let his hands swim over the keys.

 _"I couldn't stop giving up because the future was already drawn…"_

With his worn out red suit and the ridiculously large and colorful lapels, not to mention the equally garish top hat and was that a feather on top of it? She hadn't noticed that little detail before. All in all, he looked more like a circus man – or a clown without makeup – than an actual musician.

 _"…the dice was already rolled."_

What a ridiculous man, with a ridiculous job that obviously only just barely fed him – if that – and an even more ridiculous outfit.

 _"It's no good. I won't repeat the same mistakes again. 'Impossible' is just an excuse._

 _It's not a lie. Your smile is what gave me strength so many times."_

A stupid piece of a man, who wouldn't even glance at her.

"…The nerve of him." She scoffed, but came out without bite.

"Is everything ok …ma'am?" asked the bus boy. "Need more water?" he asked. "Another song?"

 _"For me, you are my vision."_

"N- Actually yeah, I need you to pass on a message," she said, scribbling something on a napkin.

...

"Why did you let her send that message?" her Dad asked, probably feeling like falling into the floor in fetal position.

"I…. thought you said… we weren't supposed to piss her off…" At this rate the poor guy would get a heart attack.

"Dad, what did the message say any way?" It couldn't have possibly been that bad, right?

"Ugh, I feel my head hurt just thinking about it. Let him tell you," he spoke, pointing to the break room and storming off, probably to get a smoke.

When she went to the 'break room' – actually just the pantry – she steeled herself up for a hug, some wailing around maybe. She had a couple candy bars in her pocket, but maybe she should have brought a couple of Kleenex just in case.

Every time, every month, it was the same old story and her very same coping methods for dealing with a rejected, heartbroken Yusho Sakaki.

"Mr. Sakaki, it's ok. Maybe next time…" She went mute at the sight of her pianist/accountant sitting on top of the coffee table with his eyes bright to the point they looked golden, and him cradling a napkin as if it was his lifeline.

"Casey," his voice was practically dripping with sweetness. "Look!"

Even from the slight distance she was able to make out a lipstick-shape imprinted on the corner and the message read:

 **"Your music really makes me smile. Yoko"**

Uh-oh, maybe she should join her Dad for some 'fresh' air. There was no emergency code for this ever happening.

* * *

Well here's the continuation for this epic love story... If you're wonderng about me making Yusho the type of person who falls in love easily, well I think the "romantic" type of personality fits him :P


	6. 05 - A Swords Dance

There were drops of sweat dripping down his back and felt his brow furrow in thought. This match should have been finished five minutes ago.

He knew her strategy, a balanced offensive and defensive stance, although she usually preferred to be the one with the opening move.

Michio had realized one day that her main advantage consisted on her coverage of both flanks, short, middle and large range, but mainly her machine gun gave her a great head start or closure depending on the course of the fight.

So the answer should have been to obviously keep her at arm's length and her relative lack of muscles – although he himself wasn't one to judge about that – deemed appropriate that he should also focus strength.

Yet here they were, locked in another clash of swords with Yuzu Hiragi.

Her strength was receding, he could feel it, so he prepared himself for a finishing blow.

Only to be kicked in the stomach. From the corner of his eye, he was barely aware that she performed a barrel roll.

For a moment, he feared to be the target of one of her 'fireworks' bullets, but instead she was coming his way again.

He barely managed to deflect a stab coming his way from the left, coming to the late realization that there was yet another one coming from the lower right.

"If this was a real fight, you would already be dead," she spoke, too assured.

"So would you," he retorted, allowing himself a smile as she noticed the blade resting right below her chin.

A small barely audible gasp was his simple reward, before both of them broke their stances.

He allowed himself to peruse over her frame for a couple seconds, with her heaving chest, her sweaty nape and neck, and still sharpened as if ready to spring into action.

It suddenly occurred to him that she was very beautiful like that; like an ancient warrior deity watching over a battlefield.

"Oh well, that was a close call. Thank you," she said finally after wiping her face with a towel in a more relaxed voice. "I gotta ask, have you been training? That was really something else. I could barely keep up with you," she complimented with a smile.

How very kind of her. He could hardly follow her pace too.

"Some. You're not so behind yourself if you allow me, although you still need to work on your upper body strength," he said, aware that her kick still stung on the whole lower side of his body.

"I can offer my help for that," said a surprising third participant.

And indeed there he was, the renowned heir of the Leo Corps, not too far away from them in the arena. Michio had never heard him or seen him enter, but that in itself was hardly a mystery anymore, if that made sense.

"Hey Reiji, I thought I saw you on the benches before," said Yuzu, barely surprised it seemed.

"Good evening Mr. Akaba," he greeted, bowing properly. "Fancy seeing you around."

"Likewise," he spoke in that rich and deep voice of his.

"So were you saying something about helping us?" asked Yuzu.

"…" It was a bit …adorable looking at him avert his eyes, so Michio took his cue.

"I believe, Miss Hiragi, that Mister Akaba only meant helping _you_ ," he said, barely containing a little laugh.

"Mmmm, I've told you many times you can just call me Yuzu," she said, pretty much sweat dropping. Was that why she avoided calling him by name? Maybe she felt uncomfortable at calling someone her age Mister.

"I'm sorry, then, for the inconvenience _Yuzu_. See you later in class. I have some duties to attend to," he said, making a motion to leave. She only directed him a small smile and a tiny wave of her hand.

He spared one last look at the heir who was still pointedly ignoring him. _'Too_ _bad,'_ he thought. After all, he wasn't half-bad looking, but his personality left a lot to wish for.

"So… was he right? You wanna train with me?" she asked.

"Yes. Michio was right; you have a lack of upper body strength, and we need to start addressing flaws like these before Glynda starts taking qualifications for the Tournament," he said. "And we could assist each other too… I myself lack on melee combat, which you seem to excel at."

"That… actually is a good idea. I mean, Yuya and Gongenzaka are already working on their defensive and offensive strategies respectively, so…" she spoke in that thinking-out-loud way she did.

"When can we start then?" he asked, trying not to sound too insistent.

"Oh! I have Tuesdays, Thursdays and weekends free now. Take your pick," she said, almost abashed as if remembering her rather …unrealistic workload from just a couple weeks ago.

There wasn't even the slightest tone of accusation in it though. Yuzu had a knack to make people calm, but she was probably unaware that she had that effect on the first place.

 _'Not like that other girl,'_ but he quickly shook off that train of thought.

"Weekends work."

...

"So when working with a short sword or a dagger like you," she started, "you want to make sure you stay close to the opponent."

As she spoke, she was bothering herself to correct his stance one more time, on her own words. Since he was more on the lean and tall side, he would have to work on finding his balanced center.

"That's good. How does it feel?" she asked once she finished adjusting his elbow.

"I think it's …good." At the very least he did feel steadier.

"Good. You wanna try a light sparring with the swords?" she proposed, signaling the generic ones stacked in the school armory.

"I thought this was training for using my dagger as a more straight weapon?" he asked, adjusting his glasses. He didn't feel like training with other swords when he had poured a piece of him in his, and no other would feel good in his hands.

"Oh, don't be picky. Besides, all swordsmen need to learn basic sword training regardless of the weight and length of their chosen blade. I promise we won't waste much time on this," she said, testing the different swords on their balance and sturdiness.

Once he picked one that felt …less weird in his hands, they took their places on each side of the training rooms; arenas were just for all out matches after all.

"Ok, come at me. Let me see your opening move." She all but ordered, not that he was unfamiliar with the fact, but this time she wasn't barking an order. She was calm, assured and on her element.

He found that he quite liked it.

After regarding her very standard stance, he went for a basic stab movement.

Which she quickly stopped with a simple parry as well. "It was a good start…" she said.

And then Reiji felt his body stumble backward.

She twisted her arm to the left and the blade barely and purposely passed inches to his neck.

He considered a counterattack to her mid-side but found that their current position made it impossible to move his arms freely

"…But you have a weak anticipation and a wobbly defense," she said with a slight smirk that made him sure she'd done it on purpose

Then she twisted her hip and Reiji felt before he saw a kick landing on his gut, making him drop the sword.

She finally pulling back the sword, and he looked up at her.

"…I thought you said it would be _standard_ swordsmanship's training," he said after a while.

" _This_ is the standard Reiji, or as standard as it gets. There's more to swords than parries, block slashes or stabs you know? And you have another tool: your body," Yuzu said with a knowing grin.

She seemed amused at his face and added:

"Yes Reiji, you have to use your whole body or else it becomes a hazard," she spoke, maybe a little too proud of herself. Had she played him on purpose?

"I see, I admit I have a lot to learn," he agreed, his mouth tugging upwards. He had completely fallen for it hadn't he?

"Yes you do," she agreed, and Reiji felt just for a second that it wasn't the only subject he needed to study more.

Then a little cackle was heard from the entrance of the room.

"Well, well, Yuzu that was quite a putdown!" It was Michio from the HFMH team, "…I hope you don't mind if I make off an audience? I would love to see two of the best of our class in action?"

"Uh? Sure I don't mind," she answered.

"Fine by me," spoke Reiji, decidedly not looking at the guy. He noticed the appreciative look he seemed to be …examining the two of them with.

Yes, there were more subjects other than swordsmanship that Reiji needed to learn about.

* * *

And here is Michio! Since my sister already has the basic draft of his weapon I felt like doing a little snippet about him and Yuzu training, also because I remember someone asking her using her weapon in a more straightforward way, so this is what came up from it.

Also, yes, Michio's weapon is fashioned after kitchen knives :P


	7. 06 - Hungry Hearts - Act 3 -

"Is he still ... you know, like that?" Coming out from his office – totally not hiding.

"Like what, my beloved father?" her daughter asked him.

"So that's a 'yes.' Ugh, I'm this close to getting diabetes," he sighed.

He stole a view to Yusho in his office, and there he was going through receipts, orders, bank accounts and bills with such ease and efficiency that the documents were almost flying and the man himself looked like he was floating at times.

"I don't know about you, but it still creeps me out," he said, diverting his eyes from the sight.

"It creeps you out that we're finally up to date with the bills? Why can't you, for once, be happy for him?" Casey asked with an eyebrow arched.

"Because it's hardly something to celebrate when we know that the moment his heart – and probably his ass too – gets broken, all the tasks will be left to pile up, _again_ ," he responded

"Then you shouldn't have played matchmaker," she remarked, pulling a face at him.

"Oh, real mature! Besides, how could I have known that after _at least_ a dozen of times, it would not be the same again?" he yelled. "And did you see her? Did you expect me to believe that a top-tier, beautiful huntress – who is totally out of his league, by the way – would give him fake hopes like that!"

"How are you so sure she's leading him on?" she asked, and Jeff couldn't stop his rolled eyes at his daughter naïveté.

"She hasn't shown up for three days," he responded. It was only a blessing that a silly note would be enough to maintain Yusho chipper for so long.

"Maybe she's busy. You said so yourself, she's a top-tier huntress," she countered.

"Even if she wasn't top-tier among her kin or whatever they call themselves, hunters travel all around Remnant. She may be across the kingdom as we speak," he pushed.

"Then how come she checked out at the village guest house for the month?" Casey countered again, this time with a grin.

"That could be anything… Wait what did you say?"

...

"I already told you, I'm fine Shuzo…. No, the mission went off without a hitch…. No, I'm not captured. Jeez have a little faith in me…. Yes, Ozpin already knows…. Yes, he approved it…. No,for all your beloved burning heart, don't come here…. Yeah okay, see you later."

Yoko sank down on the bed once she finally managed to make her dear friend end the call.

It wasn't that she actually thought him a nuisance – most of the time anyway. Unlike Ozpin, who usually allowed her to have free range for her missions as long as he could be sure she wasn't in danger, Shuzo demanded to know the most insignificant detail about everything: location, weather, mission client, reasoning…

And right now, Yoko didn't have much of the latter to offer him.

 _'Why am I staying here?'_ Tedium mostly, maybe a cup of dissatisfaction, add a teaspoon of general apathy and a pinch of insomnia and you have the recipe for a not-so-nice and hard ass Yoko…okay, maybe she needed to stop thinking about stuff that would make her hungry too.

 _'…Who's the loneliest of all?'_

Screw it; she would go out for a bite.

...

"What do you mean I can't go talk to her?" he asked, feeling his chest constrict at the thought of her leaving and not seeing him or ever getting a response for her note.

"For one, you're still on shift," Jeff said.

"Technically speaking, he's always on shift," piped up Casey, looking through the song requests.

"And she's a customer," Jeff continued, ignoring his daughter. "You should never bother customers."

"She's only hanging around in the bar, which is closed because you know you're here," added Casey once more.

"…So she obviously does not wish to be disturbed. She's probably on a mission or something," attempted Jeff.

"She's on a temporary leave," Casey corrected.

"Must you always fight me on everything?" deadpanned Jeff.

"You know it," answered Casey, grinning.

...

For whatever reason, the owner had seen it necessary to open the bar, barely at afternoon. In Vale, he would get a fine for doing so, but here in Mistral, there seemed to be far less regulations or enforcers of it.

Not that she was complaining, she thought as she ordered some sake, even though she knew it was a really bad idea; but what was a meal without a good drink to accompany with? _'That only makes sense when you order food as well, Yoko.' 'Let me be, Ozpin.'_

"Uh? Isn't it a little early to drink?" she heard someone ask.

"That's nice, but I don't need a parent," she countered before actually seeing the owner of the voice. The owner took a seat next to hers, and he looked so different without his signature red suit and top hat. Instead, he was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt he looked thinner for starters and every bit the bar employee he supposedly was.

He seemed to flinch at her harsh tone and after a lack of answer or retort, Yoko swiveled her stool to fully face him, despite being a good head taller than her. He seemed to have shrunk in size, tucked in arms and lowered head.

"How about you? When was the last time you had a full meal?" Two could play at this game.

"Uh? Depends on what you consider full? I …maybe earlier this week," he answered, perking up a little, and talking about lack of regular meals as if they were discussing the weather or the time of the day.

"You mean the one I bought you?" she found herself asking again. It really shouldn't bother her so much; they barely knew each other.

"Y-yes, I could never thank you enough for it…" he said, twiddling with his fingers and avoiding her gaze. She could swear his face looked redder, despite the fact he was not drinking, and then Yoko saw it, the crumpled napkin in his hand with the lipstick mark on it staring back at her.

All of a sudden, she was the one feeling like she wanted to disappear or hide behind the counter.

"O-okay, maybe I should let you guys go back to work," she commented, motioning to stand and looked at how his face morphed from bashful to panic and saw his arm move as if trying to reach out for her, but thought better at the last minute.

 _'You caused this, are you running away?'_ great timing for Shuzo to pop in as well.

Yoko had the sudden thought that he actually looked rather adorable like that, but squashed it down as she could feel her face heat and her stomach doing flip-flops. She turned her back on him, but not before looking at the crushed expression that started making its way on his face.

It apparently went noticed by the owner as well, since he seemed to regard his employee for a while before sighing heavily.

"Can we expect to see you around again, Miss Yoko?" asked Jeff while passing her card through the reader. "I heard you will be staying for a while."

"I'm not sure yet," she lied, becoming very aware of the mildly startled – hopeful? – Sounds coming from the man behind her.

"Sure, sure. So I guess we'll see you when you make up your mind, right?" he asked.

"Yeah …we'll see Jeff and…?" she trailed off, not waiting for and answer and taking back her card, ready to hurry to the exit.

"And Yusho," she heard Jeff calling, and despite herself, she turned around to face them again. "His name is Yusho, but you know, I think his tongue is tied at the moment," he said, pointing at 'Yusho,' who right now looked he wanted to say something but was choking on it.

"I see. Well, I'll see you around too, _Yusho_ ," she found herself saying before exiting the place.

Back at the guest house, it had taken a whole sleepless night to finally make a decision.

* * *

Well here is the third part of the Yusho and Yoko epic love story ... this once again from Yoko's POV, I wil deal with Yusho's feelings for her (and in turn for Yuya) in more deeply in the main story because he's still alive, and Yoko isn't... she's only ever described by other people so I wanted to shape her personality with this.


	8. 07 - Conquer of Remnant

"So… are you saying that you actually play Conquer of Remnant?" he asked Reiji, probably looking very surprised since he felt his own eyes bulging and he didn't think he could raise his eyebrow more if he tried.

"I admit I have not played in quite a while, so I'm probably a little rusty when it comes to the rules," he admitted, looking at the board.

"Take a seat then, and good timing too. Yuzu here was actually playing for both Vacuo and Mistral," Gongenzaka said.

Yuya had to stifle a giggle when he saw Reiji do his blink-once-does-not-compute-blink-twice face, whenever either of them did something that he thought 'nonsensical.'

"What if you wound end up playing against yourself?" he asked her.

"Oh, it depends if Yuya or Gongenzaka want to take over one of the kingdoms or we just roleplay," she answered while fixing the position of one of the Mistral soldiers.

If Reiji expressed himself like a normal person, he would have probably laughed at the idea, or at least stifled one. As it was, his only show of emotion was a shake of his head.

"…I see," he said pushing back his glasses. "In that case, I'll take Vacuo if that's agreeable with you."

"Sure," she chirped, fixing her sitting position to face just the Mistral part of the board. "We were just a few turns in… but I don't think there were enough changes. I was using the trade route to negotiate with Mistral about having an underwater transport for drinkable water to and for the far away villages," she explained.

"Are you sure that is practical? An underwater transport would inevitably require Atlas involvement because we-they are the only ones with..."

Yuya decided to tune them out while they decided on a strategy, since apparently they would be having an alliance for the time being. _'Play nice, play nice, it's just a game,'_ he thought to himself. Besides, Reiji wasn't doing anything wrong. He asked if he could play and that was it. There was no need to get fed up about it, and Yuzu wouldn't have to handle playing for two.

"Oh! I see, so if we prioritize naval transportation we wouldn't depend on Atlas machinery, Vacuo would get their water and irrigation system, and Mistral would get their fabrics, spices and construction materials!"

After all, if he couldn't manage to play nice for a couple hours, when Yuzu had done so – or tried to – for over two months, then what would that say about him?

"Ok, so we are all set then? Good!" Gongenzaka said from his post as 'Vale' and currently the only one who didn't need an alliance as thanks to their water and food supply and moderated technology.

Which meant he would have to play alone. _'Play nice, play nice,'_ he repeated.

"Yuya, it's your turn!" yelled Gongenzaka, after a couple of unsuccessful nudges.

"Oh right!" He looked at his side of the board.

Atlas didn't have much in the way of resources. He only had what he always did best: raise a military and build stuff. And right now, according to the calendar, winter was coming and with that more supplies and warmer clothes would be needed to import.

Except that those were hoarded by Mistral and Vacuo each, unless…

"I send the Atlesian troops to the south border and enforce the trade routes." He said reading the "Treaty Customs" he just drew.

"Wha- but that will…" started Yuzu.

"Cease all trading between Vacuo and Mistral, thus ending the alliance," finished Gongenzaka.

"You can't do that!" exclaimed Yuzu. "The _'Treaty Customs'_ card is only valid when there was a past alliance between the kingdom's turn and the one affected," she argued throwing him a glare.

Now this should be amusing.

"But the thing is, Yuzu, you made a treaty with me remember, in order to withdraw my naval troops on the first turn you conceded to shorten your maritime border by half," he countered, showing her his notes.

"…Did you agree to that?" asked an incredulous Reiji. "That puts on hold Mistral greatest asset: their water supply and the ground fertility," he spoke.

"Uh-huh," was the only thing Yuzu could muster as she laid her head on the table and sobbed.

"…In that case, Vacuo would have no other choice but to use Atlas as it's only source of water supply," he contiued. Of course snow and ice were the same as water, and since Atlas had to use a special technology to warm and distillate it, it was more expensive. "Unless, we turn to Vale for an alliance…"

"My apologies Reiji, but Vacuo has nothing Vale wants. We have no need for an alliance at the moment," spoke Gongenzaka, and Yuya felt a grin making its way to his face.

"In that case, we wouldn't have any other choice but to surrender our-"

"Not so fast, Yuya. It's my turn now and I use the card _'Mistral Rose Wind,'_ which changes the course of the kingdom's winds and weather change-"

"Yuzu, that card affects all of Remnant in exchange for a drought," Gongenzaka reminded her.

"Unless I also play this trap card: _'Eye of the Storm,'_ meaning the winds will affect only the kingdoms which I don't have a treaty with." And evil glint was seen in her eyes now.

"Bringing a heat wave to Vale that will dry our farms and water," observed Gongenzaka.

"Meaning that you will need water from Mistral, food from both Vacuo and Atlas and many more…" commented Reiji.

"Exactly, and since my Rose Wind also affects maritime territory, the Atlantic Ocean will pass from being tame to being filled with storms and tsumamis, Atlas' fleet have no choice but retreat or else…"

"...they will be a casualty and we won't be able to import good needed for the colder seasons or else the winter will famish us..." said Yuya sparing himself (most of) the shame.

"And with the Vacuo treaty, that means that Mistral has control on all the transatlantic trade, meaning that we our economy gets a huge boost which means that all of you will have to answer to my kingdom, and have my authorization on everything."

"Except that if I use this card: _'Coup d'état,_ ' Vacuo's imposed government of the humans descendants of the first colonizers is overthrown by the Faunus population, along with the _'Secret Treasure'_ trap card, which puts a stop on the ruling class monopoly they had on the few underground lagoons and managed to make Vacuo independent of the trade with Mistral."

"What?! To what end? But Mistral still holds the-"

"I activate the _'Weather Covenant'_ which makes all weather trap cards ineffective for the rest of the game."

"So Vacuo has a given their economic independence back to Vale and Atlas, which means in a show of diplomacy the Vale kingdom proposes the creation of a United Kingdom's Council in order to stop hoarding of resources and cooperate."

"I accept," said Reiji.

"I accept," said Yuzu in between more sobbing.

"Sure, whatever." he said. He couldn't remember the last time they had managed to get the Peaceful Resolution end of the game.

"Wow, that was quite the game," said a voice behind him. It was Yaiba.

"Tell me about it. For a minute there, I thought Yuzu was going to pull a Mantle," commented Hokuto from behind Gongenzaka.

"There, there Yuzu. You will conquer the world in another chance," he hard Masumi say with a playful tone.

"Since when have you guys been here?" asked Gongenzaka.

"Oh since Reiji joined? You guys were so into it that we came to check," answered Masumi.

"Yeah, gotta say, I admire you for finishing the game without strangling each other's throats," said Sawatari, standing behind Reiji.

"Wait, you play this too?" asked Reiji.

"Of course we do. Who doesn't?" said Yaiba with a shrug.

"Don't ask us to play though. Hokuto is such a sore loser, that he will throw the game out the window," supplied Masumi.

"Pease say that was a joke." After all, this was the 70th anniversary version of the board game his mom had given him.

"I wish it was."

"To be fair, we don't have to include Hokuto. He can be the… Narrator, right?" quipped Sawatari. "I wouldn't mind a round or two."

"Hang on just let me …um take a restroom break. And please keep Hokuto away from my game," he said.

"I have to go as well," said Reiji.

"Uh, sure."

They had walked down the hallway in complete silence. Yuya hated it. Silence meant that he was left alone with his thoughts, and he never liked to be alone with them for too long; even what his friends called his 'moods' never lasted that long.

"So… how come you play that game so well?" It was hard to think of Reiji as having fun with actual games. He would have thought he was always being subscribed to extra activities by his parents, and that his only hobby consisted of reading.

"I play a lot with my little brother, and before that with my grandfather," he said and Yuya had to suppress a double take. It was one thing that he had a brother – a little brother he corrected – but now he also had a grandfather. "He taught me to play with his old board game, but since he was a child when the Great War ended, it still has Mantle on the map and … different rules."

But of course Reiji was also a person; a boy his own age, with a family. It had been a stupid thing to doubt.

"I see. I guess you also communicate with him then?" He tried to imagine an older version of Reiji, with wrinkles, wearing a suit and maybe with a cane.

"He passed away when I was six years old," he answered, never missing a beat.

"Oh…sorry I didn't…" Way to turn things awkward.

"You needn't to worry. It was to be expected; he was terminally ill," he explained, but Yuya felt his chest constrict at the thought of watching a loved one wasting away…dying in front of your very eyes. That could not have been pleasant.

"That must have been hard …Don't you miss him?" he asked tentatively.

"…Sometimes," Reiji responded after a moment of deliberation, and Yuya now noticed his fingers were drumming on his side. Yuzu had told him something about that; he didn't remember, but it wasn't a good thing so he decided to drop the topic.

"So, anyway, good game. I wouldn't mind playing with you again," he said, attempting to lighten the mood. "Just don't pull a coup on me."

"I won't make any promises," he said, and Yuya saw the ghost of smile on his face.

Yes, he could do this.

* * *

Funny story this chapter was just going to feature the game team RWBY was playing, and then after the scene were written I realized I had basically made a melting-pot of all the strategy games I like (including but not limited to: Yugioh, Magic the Gathering, Risk, Monopoly etc.) and thus "Conquer of Remnant" tabletop game was born .

So... this chapter is mostly a fun, breather type of chapter with some worldbuilding as a side dish, hope you enjoy it!


	9. 08 - Hungry Hearts - Final Act -

"As you can see, our resume for combat lessons is divided into three levels. The beginner course covers, at most, physical fitness and training, awakening and refining of Aura and basic weapon handling," he instructed, showing some documents both school-related and government-issued about the allowed topics for certain age-groups.

"What if our child is already at the beginner's level?" he heard the mother ask, and Shuzo felt his lips purse at the thought. It was not uncommon to have parent's interview going down like this.

"While we do have an open admittance for any of the levels, as long, of course, they pass the beginner's level test, I'm afraid that I'm not allowed to teach them more until they are fifteen years old," he said in a matter of fact way.

"I see… are you sure we cannot make an arrangement?" questioned the father, slipping an envelope on top of his desk. Shuzo looked at them with the most neutral look he could muster before giving back the envelope.

"I'm afraid our regulations are very much unbreakable, but if you're still interested, let me know. Registration ends this month," he informed the couple, standing up to make a point.

A knowing look passed between both parents before they conceded and left his office.

It was only then that he allowed himself to pass his hands up his hair and release an exasperated sigh, cursing the moment LDS had begun to sell the idea that becoming a hunter was 'glamorous' and 'prestigious'.

Before it could deride into a full-blown rant, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in," he said quickly, composing himself.

"Morning," He heard. It was Yoko, and he felt himself instantly relax. Whether it was a social or business visit, he had never needed to keep up any face when it came to her.

"Morning, Yoko. To what do I owe the pleasure?" he said with a smile.

"I got married," she spoke, and she said it with such ease and deference that it took him a moment to fully register what he heard.

"I must have misheard, did you say you…got married?" he asked, and rather than answer him, she showed off a gold and red embroidered bracelet.

.

.

.

" **WHAT?!"**

"Careful there, I think Ozpin heard you all the way from Beacon," she teased with a grin on her face.

"…Sorry, I think I needed to express my …disbelief somehow." After all, not every day he got news that someone got married, without a betrothal, engagement or needing to prepare red envelopes. "So who's the lucky person?"

"That's it?" she asked. "I was sure you would scream a little more, or a little higher." She shrugged. "Oh well. It's ok now, so you can come in."

And from behind her, a man wearing a red suit with really colorful adornments came in. He was also wearing a top hat and gloves, making him wonder if they had come directly from the ceremony after eloping.

"Yusho Sakaki, a pleasure to finally meet," he greeted with his head fully bowed down and removing his hat, uncovering a mop of black hair. There was nothing outstanding about him besides that, though, and Shuzo was positive that he wasn't a hunter – not with those shoes or clothes certainly – but he had a sensitive face and expressive eyes.

"Likewise, Shuzo Hiragi, longtime acquaintance of-" he started.

"Ugh, would you stop it already? Who are you trying to impress anyway?" said Yoko, making gaging noises as if to drive the point home.

"…Your husband maybe? I have no idea what background he is from and-"

"He's a musician slash accountant and I'm not completely sure but I think he's also a cleaning guy," answered Yoko.

Shuzo looked at her mouth agape, and then at her husband who just shrugged and said:

"Well, she's not lying." He scratched his stubble when he said this, and that's when Shuzo noticed his own bracelet, black and green. They were good colors and matched Yoko's in a weird way.

"No offense, you are fine, I'm more stunned by the fact she is not 'sure'. How long have you two met anyway?" he asked, face palming.

"A month," answered Yoko.

"…"

"And married this morning," pressed Yoko.

"Next you're gonna tell me you're pregnant just so I can get a full-blown aneurism," he sighed, holding his head.

"Well…"

"Oh no, no, no. Tell me you're kidding."

"She is kidding, don't worry," intervened Yusho. "We kinda promised to give it a chance. We'd wait a whole year before deciding if we want to have kids," he added to reassure the man.

Despite saying that, Shuzo could tell that he very much wanted children. Even if his fond look at the mere mention of the word wasn't telling enough, he certainly looked like a family-oriented person, what with his wholehearted disposition and calm demeanor.

Too bad Yoko was all the opposite of that. Her earning of the 'Shooting Star' name was most certainly not because of steadiness, and her nose scrunched at the mention of kids while her eyes rolled at the 'agreement' she had with Yusho. They were barely twenty four, after all. She said once, 'ask me again in ten or fifteen years.'

That had been a year ago. _'And really,_ _they could have given it a 'chance' without marrying first,'_ he thought, both guessing and disapproving of Yoko's lack of common sense. Having a burning passionate heart was one thing, and not everyone could handle it, – just like not everyone was cut out to be a hunter – but having your feet off the ground along with your head was just plain stupid.

"Does Ozpin know about your little escapade yet?" he asked. _'Time for the heavy artillery'_ he thought.

"Wait, you guys actually know Ozpin? Like the Ozpin?" asked Yusho with the most amazed look on his face.

"…I told you about him," deadpanned Yoko.

"Uh… no offense, but you have no idea how many people go wanting to throw their weight around claiming to have close ties with him…"

"And you thought I was one of _them_?!" Yoko asked, clearly offended by the insinuation.

"I won't lie to you, I suspected it to be the case," he answered with a hand rubbing his cheek as if in thought.

"What?!" yelled Yoko through gritted teeth.

"Bu-but only for a few days. Afterwards, I knew you couldn't be lying but I didn't realize how close you meant. At least, not to the point of reporting to him in person, about you know… personal matters," he explained quickly, blushing slighting at the end of his defense. She seemed to calm down at the sight.

"It's complicated…"

"Yoko, you haven't answered my question yet," he insisted and taking a chance now that she seemed to have cooled down.

"…Well about that, it may have slipped my mind and…I was hoping that you could act as mediator," she said with a finger pressed against her chin. "Like the old days."

"The old days?" he asked skeptically, raising an eyebrow.

"If you'll allow me?" intervened Yusho all of the sudden, interrupting their glaring contest. "Maybe I should be the one standing up to him, since I'm clearly the outsider in this."

"That sounds like a good ide-" "That's insane-" Both him and Yoko spoke as yet another glaring contest started.

 **-oOo-**

It had been a couple of really, really busy hours after Ozpin announced that he wanted to meet with Yoko and Yusho in person; that he would be taking the first airship to Patch; and that he hoped for them to be in their clear heads when they took their decision.

Summarizing: He would be ready to chastise or congratulate them depending on the scenario.

Of course that didn't mean that Shuzo was completely free from his chaperoning Yusho. In fact, while Yoko went to retrieve Ozpin from the airport, he had been the one stuck with instructing Yusho with the proper honorifics and manner of speech when speaking to Ozpin, the subjects to stay away from, etc. etc.

"Should I change? Suddenly my outfit feels extremely unfitting to meet, you know… a war hero," Yusho asked, looking down at his figure.

And yet he considered it good enough for a marriage 'ceremony'.

"I wouldn't worry about it. He… actually likes to keep things simple," he responded, scratching his head.

"But the stuff you told me…" he started.

"Look, you just called Ozpin a war hero, right?" He waited until Yusho nodded before continuing. "But despite that, when one has dedicated their lives to the battlefield… there are things – real, down to earth depressing things – that you don't feel comfortable sharing, especially not to people who think of you as a 'hero.' They expect to be up to the legend and…"

"…You don't want to let them down," the other man finished.

"Exactly," he agreed.

 **-oOo-**

"Hi, Professor," she greeted, trying to sound as casual as possible.

"You are no longer my student, Yoko. You have no need to call me that," he said.

"Oh come on! I like to think that I'll always learn something from you," she countered.

"Flattery doesn't suit you, Yoko," he chided with a raised eyebrow. If it wasn't for the amused grin, she may have felt offended. Their mirth was short-lived, however, as they noticed a couple of villagers looking curiously at them. Of course, all the hats and specs in the world could never hide the wild mop of snowy white hair and the golden eyes he was famous for.

"Allow me," said Ozpin, taking her arm.

After a fast and …timely travel – which always managed to make her feel nauseated – they stood in front of Shuzo's cottage, but Ozpin still didn't let go of her arm. Instead, he brought her arm to level with his eyes, staring at the bracelet and finally removing his hat and glasses.

"Yoko… when I sent you to Mistral for an intel mission, there were many worries in my head, but I suppose none of them lived up to reality. This is probably the most irresponsible thing you've done to date." He stopped talking for a second to sigh heavily. "You are not a child anymore Yoko, you have _no excuses_ , _**none**_." he finished and looked at her with every drop of disappointment oozing from his voice and eyes.

She hated how it always made her feel like a child all over again.

"I know. I knew you would say that. I, myself, can hardly believe it, and maybe it's not a good sign, but it just felt …right," she said in a grumble.

"…"

"I don't know why, but from the moment I met him I felt …weird, and I couldn't get him out of my head."

"…"

"A-and I know he felt the same way. Isn't that like a sign, fate, destiny? You know like one of those things 'meant to be' that you're always talking about?"

"…"

"Please, just say something," she begged. She hated when he put her on the spot like that. If he wanted to say something else then get on with it! Not …not punish her with his silence.

"I told you, I need to speak to him in person," he said, avoiding her gaze. "Alone."

She had been wrong; this day really could get worse.

 **-oOo-**

"He's not a huntsman, not even a soldier, so try not to be too hard on him, Professor," he heard Shuzo say. Really at this point, every time one his former students called him that he just let it slide …but when it came to them, it made him feel like they wanted to put distance between them.

How inappropriate would it be if he would be the one trying to breach it for once?

"Worry not. I also suspect that it was almost entirely Yoko's idea," he found himself saying, but even as he spoke he felt a pang of regret – at not being there to remind her of her good sense -, disappointment - at himself, for not being able to even attempt to guide her through a new experience - and finally a little bit of betrayal …for her not trusting him - or Shuzo – on respecting her choices.

His train of thought was interrupted by the shuffling around of a young man sitting in the living room. He seemed increasingly preoccupied with fixing not just his clothes, but also the place itself as he was moving around figurines, calendars and several knick-knacks that Shuzo was fond of.

"Good afternoon," he spoke first, and watched the so-called Yusho freeze in place while holding a miniature ballerina in his hands.

"G-good I mean, it's a hon- a pleasure to meet you… sir," he greeted – or attempted to – and positioned himself in an exaggerated upright position.

"This is Yusho Sakaki, the um… newly groom of Yoko," supplied Shuzo.

Ozpin took a seat in front of the 'groom' and motioned him for him to do so as well. He also signaled Shuzo to stay in the adjacent cushion between the two when he looked like he wanted to leave – or run away? – And served three cups of tea on the small table in the center.

As the minutes passed agonizingly slow and came to realize he was out of tea – which he drank in painfully slow sips – Ozpin found out with no small surprise that Shuzo and Yusho were not the only ones at loss for words. For all the fanfare he made of coming, it had been a decision made in the spur of the moment.

He had no framework whatsoever to act on this situation, besides the fact that he knew he was very much acting like a surrogate parent for Yoko.

 _'And that is not a wise move…'_ said a small, old voice in his head.

"Um, Mr. Ozpin, if I may?" requested Yusho, breaking the silence and a bit of the heavy tension - but only a small bit.

"Please, call me Ozpin," he allowed, since apparently they would be seeing each other on regular basis; unless of course Yoko decided to settle down…

"Can I ask, how did you two became acquaintances with Yoko?" he asked, which made both him and Shuzo exchange questioning looks.

"That is a long story, Mr. Sakaki, and probably one that Yoko would be better at filling you in on," he responded.

"…I see. It's just maybe I shouldn't have let myself be carried away," he said in a pensive tone.

"Are you saying you have second thoughts?" asked Shuzo with his fist tightening. "Because such a life-altering decision should never-" He stopped talking when Ozpin raised a hand to allow Yusho continue.

"No! I mean I don't regret meeting her at all. I don't regret having reached out for her either, and the more I got to see and talk to her, the more I wanted to stay by her side, but that's the thing you see? I would be lying if I said I've never experienced love at first sight. In fact it was a bad habit of mine…" he said, trailing off for a few seconds. "I'm such a simple guy, pretty eyes and a kindness was all it took for me to think we could live happily ever after." He stopped to cradle his face in his hands as if embarrassed.

But Ozpin felt nothing but disgust at himself, for his reaction, for his harsh words earlier at Yoko.

 _"It just felt right… you know like one of those things meant to be…"_

And for ignoring for too long – perhaps willfully? – Yoko's turmoil.

"There is absolutely nothing wrong with wanting a happy ending Mr. Sakaki, and I – nor anyone – should not judge you for that," Ozpin said in reassurance to the man.

To this, both Shuzo and Yusho perked up and crossed confused looks.

"I think that at our first day at Beacon, both Yoko and I heard you say something like that, and talk about how as a hunter, one must sometimes choose to forfeit their own happy endings in order to give other people theirs," said Shuzo with a fond look in his eyes.

"And it's something that you both took to heart, and I appreciate your dedication, but maybe I was mistaken…" he said swallowing his bitter breath, and leaning forward.

"Mistaken?" repeated Shuzo, and Ozpin just nodded. He had lived long enough to learn that stubborn pride could lead to a fall…

"I believe Mr. Sakaki was able to glimpse something in Yoko, which both you and I have missed for a while," he spoke. "Tell me, what is that you wish for your life together?" he asked.

"My wish? I only want for her to… smile; to be happy. When I first saw her, I thought she was beautiful, but there was something heavy around her that drove people off. People thought I was suicidal for wanting to 'get in her way,' but I only saw someone similar to myself. Someone who was so intensely …lonely," he finished.

Ah, and misery loves company. Ozpin knew that better than most people in the world.

"Yoko, you can stop pretending that you're not listening in. Please come in," he spoke and right on cue the door opened and Yoko entered with an unusual demure demeanor and glassy eyes. Had she been crying?

"Professor, I…" she attempted.

"I heard enough Yoko, and I apologize to you both," he said, gesturing to Yusho. "Maybe it really is a thing of fate," he said.

It was like a dispel fell on the heavy mood both of them had been carrying as they both hugged, cried, and laughed all at the same time.

"I've forgotten that she could smile like that…"said Shuzo. Yes, they both did; Yoko really did have a gorgeous laugh, why didn't he remember that? Why had he let himself forget at all? "But …Is this wise? Are you serious about that 'fate' stuff?" he asked, still looking a bit dubious.

Ozpin looked over at the couple who were holding tightly to each other.

"Not in the slightest, but who am I to deny her of a happy ending? That is the duty of a huntsman, is it not?" he answered, allowing himself a smile when both Yusho and Yoko shared a kiss. "And she deserves it."

"Yeah, she does," he agreed.

Ozpin left that same night after a quiet dinner where he got to meet a little more of their relationship – which oddly enough he found both endearing and slightly… silly, and very much something that he would expect from Yoko. Yusho seemed to have aspirations of his own – _'to make people all around Remnant smile,'_ he said – which caught Ozpin's interest, but there would be a lot of time to get to know each other, or so he hoped.

All in all, it had not been such a bad idea to come to Patch again, except…

"You two still owe me a formal ceremony," he stated, indulging in their freaked out looks, before exiting the place.

* * *

Nobody is safe from the Trollpin.

Well here is the exiting conclusion to how Yoko made Shuzo and Ozpin consider their life choices, and got married too :P at first I was intent on making a chapter of date or courting for them, but besides the fact that I didn't want to risk diabetes, I feel like their relationship followed the sort of same routine until Yoko would be all like 'Hey let's get married' or something like that.

Anyway this chapter was both fun and a pain to write because of Ozpin, but I hope you guys like it


	10. 09 - Requests

After a bit too much of hesitation he managed to swallow his bad feelings and knocked the door, only for the door to open without him having to knock, there was a screech when it finally opened to a dimly lit room with some candles, stones and something that looked suspiciously like an altar.

Of course in the middle of all there was a cloaked person, this is why he hadn't want to come in the first place.

"I knew you'd come" said the cloaked figure that was giving their back to him but when

There were probably many appropriate reactions to such scene and welcoming, a fearful question, maybe some cautious steps, or stunned silence.

A snort what probably the last thing expected, and even for him it was a little surprising to give in in such disrespectful behavior, and of course the figure bolted around with furious eyes to him.

"Wha- You're not my Darling?! Where is my Darling! My vision showed me-" As she continued to rant on about how his presence must have done something to cloud her 'visions' Gongenzaka was aware that they weren't alone.

"Hey are you two listening to me!?" Mieru practically screamed at the top of her lungs, and Gongenzaka caught the glint of something round being thrown at a corner of the dorm.

For a few seconds the glint disappeared but there was no shattering noise, only some shuffling around and then from the corned emerged a tall, lean figure clothed with a light armor and mask.

"Mieru-dono, you should be more careful this would have been the tenth crystal apple in the month." He spoke almost in hushed but still clear voice and holding the object back to his team leader.

"Would it matter? It's clearly defective if it didn't show me the future!" she seemed to be in the verge of a breakdown… or a tantrum.

At the very least that is how it looked, with Tsukikage trying to reassure her that she was probably still adapting to her new surroundings and needed to attune herself to it before it got right back on trial, and Mieru nodding while sniffing and wiping off her eyes.

Whatever the reason was for her being allowed into Beacon at still fifteen years old, much less appointed as team leader was beyond him, but it was not his place to question Ozpin's decisions, not out loud anyway.

"State your purpose." He heard Tsukikage say.

"I… have a request, for a training partner."

"I see, however Mieru-dono has to give her consent in order to-"

"Take Hikage and Tsukikage." She said in an even voice, as if her past crying had not happened.

"I only need one-"

"You are Noboru Gongenzaka right? You specialize on strong defense and nullify your opponent's attacks, but a sneaky opponent who uses dirty tricks to get past your defense could easily defeat you, despite you great stamina because your main weak point is speed." She finished

"…I see, so when can we work on a training schedule?" he asked, maybe now he could see why she was capable of leadership.

"What do I know? I'm not their nanny ask them!" she said huffing.

 _'...Or maybe not'_ He hoped Yuya was having better luck.

 **-oOo-**

' _Ouch'_

Yuya had been aiming to his chest, after come musing he had come to terms that it would the easiest part to land a hit in, but before his staff could even make contact he caught a flash of shoe.

Next thing he knew his body tumbled once, twice then thrice against the arena grounds.

His whole body was tingling but he knew it wouldn't last long before the aching pain would take its place, when he opened his eyes he was met with a spinning, blurry vision and he had to blink several times before his eyes could focus, he wished he could just use his Aura to make the dizziness go away, but painful lessons at Signal had thought him that you couldn't rely on it for every little ache or injury.

It was not an endless supply after all.

"Again" he heard as soon as he was able to get to his feet.

He bite back a growl before charging again this time aiming for his lower side, and just as his staff made contact with it he felt himself being pushed back again.

This time by Kachidoki's elbow landing on his back, having him biting the dust, literally.

"Again." He said this time not even waiting for Yuya to gather himself.

"Just… give me a minute." He retorted.

"…I'll give you five, not that it will make a difference." He answered before walking back to the bench.

The thought of just lying there in the ground for the remainder of the break was a little too tempting but he forced his arms to comply and stood up, not without stumbling a little on his feet.

And of course that earned him a snort from his 'teacher' which Yuya fought very hard not to respond to but he had to remind himself that he was the student here, complains would led him nowhere.

"Here." Kachidoki said throwing him a water bottle.

"…Uh, thanks"

"You need to work on your balance and your footwork." He was told.

"I thought we were working on my defense." He said feeling offended, besides there was nothing wrong with his balance, there _never_ was.

"And how exactly do you plan to defend yourself when you depend on your semblance for _standing up_ of all things?"

Crap, he noticed and he must had a panicked look on his face because Kachidoki limited himself to sigh and added:

"Don't act so surprised, you are way too obvious, I suspected it long before you trusted me about it." He even rolled his eyes for emphasis and Yuya found himself wanting to run away and pretend that none of this training had been his idea.

"Am I really that obvious?" He said after releasing a deep breath but still not wanting to meet his eyes.

"To the trained eye? Yes you are, your stances are full of openings to the point it could barely said that you have _any_ defenses, you keep messing up when it comes to blocking attacks making your lack of anticipation is glaring." Finished Kachidoki with a matter-of-factness that made Yuya feel like a toddler.

"I-I don't …Is not that I can't fight it's just…" he attempted. "I did learn, and I was good…" but just that: only good, not good enough to fight Grimms and definitely not good enough to apply for Beacon.

But above everything: not as good as his mother.

"So you took a shortcut? I bet somewhere along the way you thought that if you could move fast enough that if no one would ever land a hit on you could go on neglecting all the other aspects of your training? Did it ever occur to you that 'Agility' doesn't not replace technique? Or stamina? The biggest mistake one as a warrior can make is thinking that Semblance or Dust will make up for our lack of training."

"I know that, that's why I'm here." he bite out, pouting.

"Then _work_ on it, the only reason I agreed to this training partnership was because I thought you had an angle, that you were trying to measure me up and that I could get to do the same to you, such disappointment."

"But… I don't even know where to start." Well, more like restart as much as Kachidoki's comments hurt, he was right, he had been neglecting actual training for almost three years now.

He then saw Kachidoki fixing him with a glare but ultimately releasing an exasperated breath.

"It occurs to me that… maybe this isn't the best approach, maybe we should start with more simple drills and basic forms." As he said this he was rubbing his neck and tore his eyes from him.

"Sure! I can do that" he said feeling his energy lift a little.

"But no semblance, and believe me I will notice" he demanded.

"Not even if-" Yuya was caught short by a sweaty towel smacking right into his face.

So much for a joke.

* * *

Well, this is very much meant as a partner of the "A sword dance" one-shot, showing to whom Yuya and Gongenzaka choose to turn to for training, also Yuya's "secret" it's out in the open, I like the idea that besides the pertinent Professors people's semblance are... not necessarily secret but private, unless is an incredibly obvious one (like Hokuto's or Reiji's) people are careful to keep information about them to themselves, after all it doesn't strike me as a clever thing to have the battle stats of Hunters-to-be in the open.

I bet many of you are wondering if Mieru is really fortune teller in this AU, but for now I will keep that for myself, don't wanna spoil the surprise.


	11. 10 - Eating your Greens

"I came as fast as I could. How is she?!" Yuzu asked in a panic.

"Ssshhhh." It was the nurse who was glaring at her from beside the bed Masumi was now prostrated, looking to be fast asleep.

Only then did Yuzu realize that the room was packed with all her friends, including Mieru, Michio and Tsukikage. They all wore the same concerned expression for Masumi, who barely seemed to be moving.

"What happened?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"We don't know. She was having a late lunch, I guess – although it seemed more like a feast – and even sat down to talk for a little bit. Well I was the one talking, she was mostly grunting her answers while eating her sa –" explained Mieru.

"If our team leader excuses me, she suddenly went pale and started to writhe and simply collapsed, so we brought her here. We still don't know what happened," interrupted Michio.

"She also puked," supplied Mieru again. "Like a lot."

"Ok, so what's the deal?" asked Yuya, apparently not having been filled in either. "Is she sick? How is she?"

"Well, for the time being she seems fine. The nurse said she needs to do some quick tests to see if she's ill," answered Gongenzaka, sighing at the end.

"You guys don't get it. Masumi doesn't get sick it just…doesn't happen. She's always on those protein-only diets and stuff. She never misses school or her duties," spoke Hokuto, pacing around.

"I'm sure you mean well, but it's impossible that she doesn't get sick at all," said Reiji.

"He doesn't mean like that. One time in LDS there was a flu virus going on and everyone, and I mean everyone, even the teachers, the administrates and guards caught it, so they cancelled lessons for two whole weeks because all but five people got sick," said Yaiba.

"One of them was Masumi," said Sawatari. "Say, now that I think about it, who were the other four?"

"What? I don't know. Some upperclassmen I think. That's not important Sawatari!" yelled Hokuto.

"So that means, if she's sick…" trailed off Mieru.

"It must be really bad," finished Tsukikage who had been silent until now.

"Shouldn't we leave then? What if we cause everyone at Beacon to catch it?" asked Gongenzaka.

"If you are done with your little discussion, that's exactly what I was going to suggest," said the nurse, pointing at the exit. "Don't worry, your friend will be fine. I've never loss a student on the table before."

"Wait, table? Are you going to perform surgery on her?" asked Yuzu.

"Of course not sweetheart. I don't have the equipment for it. I simply meant the tests." She heard her say. "Now, be so kind to leave. I won't repeat myself."

 **-oOo-**

There was light; too much light. It made her blink several times, before trying to stir.

"Oh, never mind Headmaster. I believe she's up now." She heard someone say.

"I see. Do you mind if I stay for a while? I believe there will some questions afterwards."

"What questions?" she heard herself ask with a parched voice that barely sounded like herself.

"Please don't force yourself sweeti-"

"I swear that if you keep deflecting my questions, I'm gonna walk out of this room, with or without my clothes," she threatened with a growl.

"…Miss Koutsu, I don't think we have been properly introduced." Stepping forward into her line of sight was none other than Headmaster Ozpin.

"What? Am I going to die?" It was very worrying that a part of her preferred that possibility over the nagging thought haunting her head since _that_ night.

"Of course not. I was just worried for the well-being of one of my students," he said, and the worst thing was that Masumi believed it.

"…Over a stomachache? I feel honored," she said, trying to sound smug but probably failing at it.

"According to your results…" he said, taking the chart the nurse was holding, whom took her cue to leave them alone, "…they were a little too close to pumping your stomach."

"So it was food-poisoning? Why is everyone making a big deal out of it then?" she questioned, refusing to meet his eyes.

"It was _deliberate_ food-poisoning, Miss Koutsu," he spoke. "And you should know I take the security of my students very seriously."

"So? Shouldn't you be interrogating suspects or something?" she asked.

"That is exactly what I am doing, Miss Koutsu." So he said it, and Masumi felt her heart drop to the ground. "What exactly have you been feeding yourself?" he asked.

"Are you seriously accusing me of-"

"Answer the question, miss," he insisted.

"I …was just worried about my lack of fiber in my diet… and wanted to try something new. You know meat can really get old…."

"Since when?"

"After that … night," she answered in a whisper.

"Two whole weeks of eating, what was it? Fruit? Salad? Soups? Legumes? Junk food? All of the above? Your official medical papers say that you suffer from a rare genetic disorder, which makes you unable to digest cellulose, meaning there whole food groups you should stay away from."

"…Yes, I guess it slipped my mind then," she said, still unwilling to concede.

"Should I call your parents then? So they can chastise you? Remind you to take care of your health?" It was scary the way his demeanor changed from a kind old man, to an almost spiteful and tired-of-nonsense teacher, and it succeeded in making her feel small, and foolish. "Like a misbehaved brat." He finalized with narrowing eyes.

"You have no right to speak like that to me! And if you call my parents I will…ugh." She held her abdomen for a while as the tremors passed.

"Lay down, Miss Koutsu, please." And he was back to being kind and soft-spoken? Masumi didn't want to deal with this right now.

"How rare?" she asked in a clipped voice.

"Excuse me?" He sounded puzzled.

"How rare is my condition actually?" she asked. She had never, _never_ thought about it. She liked meat anyway, and beyond some weirded out looks, people had never questioned her food tastes either.

"…Among humans? I cannot tell an exact number. It's not my field but my understanding is that it is quite rare-"

"Please… you know that is not what I asked."

"…I see. Do you mean including the global population then? In Vale at least 30% of the population has similar conditions regarding their digestive systems among other, less crippling… conditions, although this is just what is reported. The actual number is presumed to be much higher."

Which coincidentally matched with the percentage of the Faunus population, but she was too afraid to say it. The Headmaster was evasive, no doubt, but if she asked she would undoubtedly get an answer.

And she wasn't sure she was ready to deal with it.

"Masumi, you know you can trust me, right? If there's anything bothering you…" he said, and she hated that he dared to speak her name just like that; he had no right.

"I would have told you. Good evening, Headmaster," she said, turning over to face the window.

"…Very well. In that case, I'm forced to tell you that despite your protests, the nurse has the professional obligation to inform your parents, Miss Koutsu. Make sure you call them to let them know about your well-being." He said.

Still Masumi refused to look back or even acknowledge the statement and continued to give her back to him.

When she heard the door close after a couple more minutes, she went to grab her scroll. It was full to the brim with notifications from her friend's messages. She felt a smile on her face and the bitterness of her mouth receded a little, only to notice there were also several missed calls from home.

She almost threw the thing out the window, along with what was left of her stomach's contents but just erased and blocked them.

Masumi had nothing she wanted to say to them.

* * *

You guys didn't seriously think I would pass this series without adressing Masumi's dilema right? I wanted to publish this chapter much earlier, but it didn't exactly fit the more lighthearted or angsty tone of the others, but I believe it's time to drop this huge hint about her ;D

I'll show people an advance of the Vol 2 if you guess about Masumi's ... heritage.


	12. 11- Lost and Found

Looking through his office window, he contemplated the central garden right below it. It was usually a quiet place, with the occasional group of friends hanging out, the lonely student wanting some time for their selves, or even frequents couples or trysts – Glynda highly disapproved of them, but he thought of them as amusing and dare he say endearing? – hiding behind the fountain statue.

It was a sharp contrast currently, what with the busy crowd of students, families and even teachers coming and going in between picking up luggage, double checking classrooms and offices for forgotten items, or trying to sneak around, making calls, etc.

It was only natural since they were right at the last official day of the semester.

 **-oOo-**

"Wow, I can't believe we're already one semester down!" he heard one girl say to (presumably) her parents.

"I hope you picked everything up honey, because if we miss our flight…"

"Yeah, yeah… let's go."

Reiji was aware that over hearing was a rude thing to do, but when you are not a talkative person, and have no real problem with white sound, snips of conversations like this tended to slip every now and then; he never did it with any malicious intent.

Eavesdropping into random conversations was easy to do, especially when you were waiting for someone, after leaving the third voice mail in a roll to no avail.

He closed the scroll again. Sighing, he made his way to the dorm; maybe he could enlist … some aid.

 **-oOo-**

"These are months behind, young man," scolded the moody librarian, sorting through the books.

"Yeah, keep forgetting to turn them in," he replied, throwing a little laugh that he hoped sounded nice enough to lower the blow.

"These are stained with…is this caramel?" she pressed on. It was syrup, actually.

"That… Was already there when I checked them out," he answered, hoping to sound convincing.

"Your parents will receive a bill in two weeks to replace the damaged items," she explained with a harsh look.

"Uh …it was worth the try," he said in a low voice, and almost tripped into something when he turned to leave.

Or more like someone apparently, he thought as he stared at a pair of blue eyes.

"Gongenzaka, are you gonna take these with you?" she asked, holding a couple of comics.

"No, you know my father would never allow me to have them. Can you or Yuya keep them safe for me?" he asked, currently holding up a bed with one arm, as he passed the vacuum machine with the other.

"Sure thing," she said, adding them to the keep box that Reiji had so graciously recommended them to avoid 'unfortunate confusions'.

As the door opened to reveal Reiji, she knew almost instantly that he was worried about something. Over the semester, she was proud of being able to decipher his body language, and right now – drumming fingers on his leg, constantly checking the hour, shifty eyes and a furrowed brow – it was hanging heavily around him.

She heard him mutter to himself, and went back to the door, another sign of slipping façade.

"Hey Gongenzaka, can you finish these for me? I think I left some stuff in my locker," she requested. It wasn't a lie; not a full one, anyway.

"Sure, leave it to me," he said.

 **-oOo-**

As it turned out, the kid was still blinking owlishly at pretty much anything that caught his eyes, but for whatever reason, still refused to meet his eyes, or answer him when he asked for his name. He looked to be searching for someone.

Yuya never managed to make him say it, but the way he kept on looking around everything in his way – almost with a clinical thoughtfulness – gave him away.

"So…you, can you tell me if you're lost?" he prompted, mindful of not touching him. With the way the kid kept his hood on in the middle of the day, and had his crossed arms as if trying to hide them, he guessed that would be a bad idea.

And apparently, he had scared him anyway because he scurried away behind a shelf.

Well when everything fails, no one could resist a chocolate bar, he thought to himself. He snuck a look to the librarian, and found her to still be organizing her work station.

"So, I …you want some? It's okay, look," he said, taking one bite of it and trying to make a 'yummy' face, to no avail; not even one look.

"Yuya Sakaki! Are you eating in my library?!"

 _'Uh-oh_ _._ _'_

 **-oOo-**

"You are playing wrong," Gongenzaka said to a man sitting in the dining hall.

"I'm sorry, what?" he asked with what would have probably been a helpless look if his eyes weren't hidden by sunglasses.

"You need to divide the armies and the resources equally before handling the titles and positions… Mmm… It also looks like you didn't take into account the local weather."

"Can you assist me then? I've been trying to figure this out for a while now."

"No problem. Here, this card…"

 **-oOo-**

"What do you mean you don't have a photo?" she asked him.

"…There are some photos but they are all at home, he …he doesn't like to have his photo taken," he explained. He really didn't know why, but every time he had tried, Reira managed to scurry away or hide his face with his hoodie at the last moment.

"Well, that scratches the idea of asking people around… What does he look like then?" Before he could answer she spoke up again. "And if you say 'he looks like me' I swear you're gonna force me to fan you," she threatened.

It was good that she interrupted him then.

"He is this tall," he said, marking a little below his waist. "He has blue eyes and clear violet hair, but he always wears a cap and a hoodie because he doesn't like the sun. They're both teal colored. He wears sneakers and always carries around a stuffed bear colored yellow and purple."

"And...?" she asked with a raised eyebrow.

"That would be all."

"His name. What is his name?" she exclaimed, which made Reiji falter a little. She looked positively exasperated.

"Reira."

 **-oOo-**

"Oh, hi," he said, as he dusted off another book.

The kid still didn't speak, but at least he tried to look at him in a very sneaky way only to panic and get down again when he noticed Yuya looked back.

"So, I guess you don't like chocolate."

"I do like it," he spoke for the first time, but still refused to look up.

"Ok, too bad the librarian took it away. You should have taken it before."

"I'm …not supposed to talk to strangers…not even if they offer me candy or toys."

And Yuya almost wanted to slap his face against the book, because he couldn't believe he had forgotten such a golden rule.

"Then you probably shouldn't be talking to me or you'll get in trouble…"

"…The librarian said your name is Yuya," the kid said.

"What? I mean yes that's my name."

"Then its ok," he said taking a seat at nearby table, while he continued to arrange and clean books.

At this point, he was too bummed out to think too hard about that.

 **-oOo-**

"Thank you, Tsukikage. Please call me if you see anyone like that."

"I shall do it then," said the blue, dressed as usual in light armor and spandex. "Maybe Mieru-dono can help you?"

"…Maybe, thanks. I'll look for her then." It would be rude to say that Yuzu didn't think Mieru's semblance actually gave her divination powers.

Learning that Reiji had a brother had been a real shocker. Realizing that it never occurred to her to ask him if he had one was more than just a little embarrassing. Knowing that part of the reason he was always in the library was to talk to him as much as possible was endearing (and she had to resist the urge to question him about it). And now, while she was indeed worried for 'Reira' – not that much though, nothing bad could happen to a kid in Beacon – a part of her was also excited to meet him.

One could learn about someone through their family after all, but this was a task where Yuya could help. If anyone could cover the entire school grounds in no time, it was him.

"That seems like a …sound idea," he said at this. It was always weird to see him trying to use regular words he (most likely picked up from them) wasn't familiar with.

"Great, he tells me he's in the dorms," she spoke.

When they opened the door, they were greeted by Yuya reading an illustrated book to a little figure kneeled in the middle of the floor, which would have been innocent enough if he hadn't been reading a Spooky Anthology to Keep You Awake book to Reiji's little brother.

 **-oOo-**

There were a lot of things Reira didn't always understand.

But at this precise moment, he could not understand what was so scary about an armor moving around a school during the night – maybe someone had left these Atlesian Knights activated? – yet the one thing that had him scoot over to want to hide under the bed was the mass of pink, blue and red that practically attacked Yuya with some sort of folded weapon made of paper.

"Yuya! What are you doing reading those to a kid!" the subject – which right now, was clearly female – yelled and was now chasing Yuya around the room.

But when he saw the figure at the door, he forgot about any wishes to run under the bed. Instead, he wanted to hide behind his brother.

"Reira, it's okay. They are …always like that," he heard his brother say, and for a moment he was puzzled. His brother was talking in a different way and even his voice was a little more …energetic.

"Oh wait, that's your brother? I could never get him to tell me his name! And then he said that he wasn't allowed to talk to strangers, but he just kept following me around," said Yuya, finally stopping his run along with the pink haired person.

"That's because I've talked to him about all of you," his brother replied.

"Oh… oh that makes sense," Yuya said, scratching the back of his head.

His brother told him about his three team mates. Yuya: the smaller boy, who liked sweet stuff and was loud.

Gongenzaka: the broader boy, who didn't like disorder and liked board games, and had a tendency to speak in third person.

That left the only girl, who liked to wear her hair on pigtails, had blue eyes like his, liked music a lot, and was his brother's partner – whichever meaning that had.

"The pink angry girl is Yuzu?" he asked, looking up to his brother for confirmation.

"Yes," he said, still not taking his eyes off them.

He looked at the way Yuzu continued to berate Yuya, although with much less animosity than before and the weapon had left her hands too, but still…

"But brother…you told me she was nice," he spoke, drawing the attention of both Yuya and Yuzu.

He also didn't understand why his brother flinched a little at this.

 **-oOo-**

"So, if I do what you say…that means I have now conquered Remnant?" asked Nakajima.

"Indeed, and a fine strategy at that. If you applied yourself, you would be a great economist," the big student said.

"Well, coming from a Beacon student, that means a lot," he said. Now that he understood the rules, he could keep Reira entertained…

 _'Uh, wait… Reira?!'_

He was dead, then fired, and then dead again.

* * *

Hehe, just so you know I most definitely didn't come up with this scenario because I once lost sight of my little cousin when were were at the park, no sir . ...seriously though kids are sneaky little things sometimes.

At first this was a longer chapter but the tone were so different that the flow of the chapter just didn't felt right, so I ended up splitting it into this and the next chapter.


	13. 12- Farewell

After the airship finally finished its descent and the voiceover indicated that it was safe to start loading the luggage, all of them had been just kind of staring at everyone going on about their own belongings and saying their goodbyes to their teammates and friends.

However, Yuya knew as the engines started to heat again, they all knew they couldn't drag this on forever.

Even Reiji looked a little hesitant to start. Of course, the fact that his bodyguard – a bodyguard, seriously? – And his little brother were there could also be a factor. In fact, after an almost too quick gesture to the man, he stood straight, taking the hint.

"Oh right! Maybe I should get started and help with the luggage," he said while drifting off to the side. "Let's go, Reira."

The kid, who seemed to have a type of aversion to both sunlight and eye contact, just griped Reiji's hand tighter and looked up at him.

"It's okay, Nakajima. Once you're done with the luggage, wait for us on the airship, please," Reiji requested.

Once this Nakajima dude was out of sight, Reiji turned to look at all of them. His eyes passed from Gongenzaka, to Yuzu and then at himself.

"This has been a …worthwhile experience. I look forward to the next time we meet." Somehow, Yuya was no longer surprised or as annoyed by Reiji's … clipped ways of expressing himself.

Instead, he found them to be sort of amusing.

"Of course. This is was just the start of our journey," started Gongenzaka, ever so the eloquent person he was. "It has been a pleasure meeting you. I was unsure at first, but I really don't think we could have asked for a better teammate," he continued, shaking Reiji's hands – which Yuya wasn't even aware he had been holding – and separated without words.

Yuya realized they weren't needed.

"You know? I think from the moment we met each other, I had a hunch about you," brought up Yuzu. "Not sure why, but I think you're just that type of person who leaves a strong impression on people," she finished with a smile.

"You are like that too," Reiji said and then added a little too quickly, "I mean all of you made… quite an impression that day on the airship."

"Oh, I'm glad we were able to get through to you then," said Yuzu with a wink. "Either way, I'm glad to have met you too, and sorry that you will have to be so far, but I guess that's how things are for a future Huntsman/CEO right?"

"I suppose," he replied with a tiny smile.

He then looked at Yuya.

"…Um yeah. Guess you will have to moonlight one of those jobs, right?" his mouth said, obviously without checking with his brain first. "Ugh, sorry that was lame. Don't know what to say in moments like this." Not that it mattered to his lacking-of-filter mouth though.

"I am unsure either, since we started off on the wrong foot. We didn't have much time to know each other, did we?" commented Reiji, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah… but that's the good thing of breaks, right? We can always try again next time!" He found himself saying.

"I like the idea," he said and offered his hand to Yuya. He hesitated a moment, but he took it anyway. It didn't last long, and he found himself regretting the wasted time.

Afterwards they stayed silent, while team MSST, without the M – Masumi – was the perfect description for 'uncomfortable in their own skin.'

They all avoided looking at each other, but the voiceover gave the first call for the passengers so they didn't have much time left.

"So I guess this is it," commented Sawatari over the noise, ever so the charming person he was.

"Pretty much," answered Hokuto next to him, getting up from his luggage.

They were both decidedly not looking at each other and for a moment the only sound heard was the picking up wind.

"Ugh! You're impossible. Am I the only one with the guts to admit that I'll miss all of you?" groaned Yaiba from behind the pair, grabbing them from their napes and forcing them down into his height.

Of course, the movement made all three knock their foreheads into each other.

"Nice one Yaiba," said Hokuto. "Are you sure Masumi can't make it into this flight?"

"Meh, she says that she's tired from packing and that this way she will be able to just arrive home and conk out without her parents' hassle," he answered.

"Either way, we already said our farewells, correct?" spoke Reiji from behind them, along with a tall man wearing sunglasses and his little brother – Reira.

"Yeah we did," said Yuzu, looking a little sheepish. "We promised to keep in touch too."

"I the man Gongenzaka never break promises," assured the big guy. "Although, I can't assure my availability during morning hours," he added.

"More meditation and training to do?" Yuya asked, wondering if he should have planned more stuff other than playing around, sleeping in, and catching up with his comics and books.

"That too, but… Father says he has new tasks in the dojo for me," he stated with some reverence in his voice.

At least someone between them didn't have to juggle to spend time with their parents.

"How about you Reiji? Any plans for the winter break?" Yuzu asked.

"I have yet to consider it. I will probably need to be informed about any important happenings in Atlas and the company."

Yuya saw Reira flinch a little, but seemed to calm down after Reiji placed a hand on his head. _'Yep, Gongenzaka is the only one_ _,_ _'_ he thought

"I see… Still, we can't forget either about taking care of ourselves right? I mean the how many breaks we will have before we graduate?" asked Yuzu to them. "We should try to have some fun while we can."

"Right, nothing stops us from meeting up, right?" questioned Gongenzaka, rubbing his chin in consideration. "What do you say, Yuya?"

"Me? Uh…" It took him a minute to get the clue. "…Oh! I mean, yeah, I could talk to my Dad, and see if he can't get us into one of his shows," he said

It was a lie, of course. There was nothing stopping Yuya from just dropping over there unannounced as he used to, but now…

"You're kidding, right? I've never seen one of his shows in person, and Firebird is still on the billboard, right?" interrupted Yaiba.

"Oh! You'll love them! It's like being transported to another world!" exclaimed Yuzu with her eyes closed and daydreaming, probably.

"Sure, can't make any promises though, but I'll try," he said and he saw Reira looking up at Reiji for some reason.

"I appreciate the thought, but unfortunately the Leo Corps is facing some …publicity struggles since the Heartland Incident was uncovered," he said, adjusting his glasses. From the corner of his eye, Yuya saw the surprised look on the bodyguard. "And I don't think it would be wise to travel until things settle down." He continued the explanation, but before the mood was completely broken he added, "I suppose, maybe it would be better to reunite when the next semester begins and we can all be in Vale again." He placed a hand on Yuzu's shoulder, and she nodded in agreement.

As usual, Yuya tried to pretend his hand had not been lingering on her for seconds longer than necessary after Yuzu had already turned her back on him.

"Speaking of Heartland…" trailed off Sawatari."Maybe we should, you know, try to do what Ozpin asked us?" he half asked and coughed to his side.

Right. None of them had talked that much about the incident after their little meeting in the restroom, and unlike most people at Beacon, they had chosen not to involve themselves in all the heated debate that regularly broke out in the classrooms and hallways.

Yuya sometimes wondered if people would discuss it as casually if they had been there that night.

"You mean listen carefully?" asked Yaiba. "To, you know, everyone?"

"Do we have to?" groaned Hokuto. "I thought we made it clear: we are just students and there's not much we can do," he said, waving his hand in an almost dismissive fashion.

"Nothing impedes you from hearing people, Hokuto. It would do you well to pay attention to people around you for once," advised Reiji, looking to the side.

Yuya didn't miss the embarrassed blush forming on Hokuto's cheeks, who averted his eyes to avoid looking at Sawatari and Yaiba who were looking at him as if he had slapped them.

"Besides, we won't get to play the student card all the time, especially if we're all serious about becoming hunters," said Yaiba.

"That's right. People often look up to us for guidance. The best we can do is try and be an example, right?" contributed Sawatari and for once Yuya didn't think he sounded like he was giving a practiced speech.

Of course, he also felt a scowl forming on his face when he saw Yuzu nudging his arm and looking at him with pride in her eyes.

"That is true. It's just like Crow said: we can't pretend that the task of a Hunter is fulfilled when Grimms are slayed, when we can't uphold the protection of the population, of _all of them_ ," said Gongenzaka.

Silence ensued then, either in consideration or to avoid a discussion Yuya wasn't sure. Or maybe like him, to reconsider what exactly had they expected when they applied for Beacon.

 ***TO ALL PASSANGERS: THIS IS THE LAST CALL TO BOARD THE AIRSHIP***

 **-oOo-**

In no time the school would be almost empty, barring some live-in workers and professors and Ozpin knew he would miss the crowds. Their chatters, laughs and even the banters that he got to hear on his rounds around the school were all so entertaining.

In less than an hour, the last airship would take the last group back to their homes. Below him, he could see some groups already loading their luggage while others were running around, probably trying to track down their team mates.

 ***ACCESS REQUESTED***

Was it that time of the day already? While staring at the screen, really such a relentless girl she was, not that he could blame her. Not when he had yet to deliver good news about her requests.

And he did promise his door would always be open for her.

However, he did his best to hide his surprise when Masumi Koutsu stepped into his office.

"Miss Koutsu, what a nice surprise," he said to her, but went unaddressed as she stormed into the place and invited herself into his chair. "After all, the airship is leaving soon. I wouldn't want you to miss your flight."

The moment Ozpin got a full view of her visage, he knew something was wrong. Her usually long and symmetric hair looked slightly unkempt and the tips looked uneven, as if she had neglected its care.

"To what do I own the pleasure?" he pressed.

"To my pathetic, lying excuse of parents," Masumi all but spluttered, attempting to sound harsh, but Ozpin could see the trembling in her eyes. "Sorry…that was…"

Whatever she was about to say died on her lips as her demeanor dulled once more, and now he couldn't chalk it off to the orange glow of the dusk: her eyes were red-rimmed and shimmered with unshed tears.

"Maybe you will be able to work things out during the winter break-" he started, but before he could say anymore, a fist banged against his desk.

"I can't do it!" she yelled. "I just can't. Please, I don't know who else to turn to…" she lowered her head, but not before he caught sight of her tears.

He sighed. He had an answer, but she came a little too late, and Glynda would definitely chide him if he let one more broken rule slide under her authority.

Still… the tears had evolved into quiet sobs now.

Slowly, Ozpin pulled a form from his desk and slid it toward her and told her:

"You don't have to, until you're ready."

* * *

Only one more chapter and this series is done ;D

This chapter was something that I wrote in one sitting (god I haven't done that in a while) since most of it it's to give closure to the friendships formed, things discovered etc. and then there's Masumi... fret not she won't be suffering all the time, but she needs time for herself.


	14. 13- Secrets

"Are you saying that they have met each other?" he asked, his face leaning against the glass window.

"Crow says they just crossed eyes, and the Ruri girl seemed a little… out of it to realize it. However, we can't be sure if your daughter noticed the resemblance," she answered.

Great, this was the last thing she needed, he thought as he looked at her still working with Yuya and Gongenzaka on giving much needed maintenance to the garden.

 _'I thought we had more time, that_ _ **they**_ _had more time'_ Yuzu, all of them shouldn't be thrown into this so early.

Glynda was now standing behind him, having stood up from the couch to stare at the same sight as him: Yuya was now drenching the others with the hose after she complained about lingering dirt.

There was a long sigh heard before she continued, "Have you talked to her? Has she asked any …unusual questions?"

Right, what could qualify? Shuzo wondered. Maybe something _like 'Hey Dad, do I have lost_ _twin sisters_ _or did Mom_ _cheat_ _on you and had a bunch of daughters spread around in the kingdoms?'_ He almost wanted to snort at the thought.

The mind fills your head with the most outrageous thoughts when you feel like sinking into the ground.

"Shuzo?"

"Wh- Sorry, I was just thinking," he said. "No, and I feel like she only told me about their little adventure because you told me first."

"So she's secretive."

"She's _loyal_. Something more must have happened, Glynda, and she's just looking out for her friends," he corrected, quickly coming to his daughter's defense.

Besides, he was hardly someone to complain about secrets.

"Shuzo, this is not about silly school friendships. She barely avoided being taken away. If the news weren't feasting themselves with the Heartland news, her face could have been plastered on each stream-"

"You think I don't know that? You think I'm not afraid of coming home every day with the dreading thought of her just… vanishing?" he yelled, finally tearing his eyes from the window. "And don't talk about them as 'silly' school friends," he demanded.

That's how he and Yoko met, after all.

"My apologies…Weren't the bracelets supposed to prevent this situation?" asked Glynda.

"I was told that Ruri lost hers heavens knows how long ago," he answered,

"I see."

They both fell into silence then, but Shuzo couldn't help but wonder how Ozpin planned to have everything working out before Rin, Ruri or Yuzu eventually met during the Festival, they had been told not to worry by him, but telling Shuzo not worry after what happened what futile.

But given that Ozpin had his own share of secrets when it came to the girls as well, he could do nothing but trust him at the moment.

"So what news have you from Ozpin?" He wasn't going to believe for a second that Glynda was here for a social call. Glynda was not a bad or unpleasant person at all, but she was a little too…stiff in his perspective.

"Serena has been sighted." She spoke.

If he had been drinking something, he would have spat it out. If a Taurus Grimm was storming into his home, he would have paid no mind. And maybe if Yoko walked into the house, he would still be frozen trying to assimilate the news.

"It has been so long," he barely mustered.

"There is more," she said. Of course there was. "She was found …as a student in Atlas Academy. Ironwood informed us as soon as he came across her expedient."

"Since when is Ironwood informed of these matters?" he asked.

"Ozpin had given the other Headmasters a heads-up for her bracelet along with Ruri's, Ironwood was the lucky one and he pretty much _demanded_ to know Ozpin's reasoning." she answered with a snort.

"And he _agreed?_ "

"You know how unrelenting he can be. Either way, if Ozpin thinks of him as trustworthy enough, we have no say on the matter."

Shuzo took a moment to gather himself. He was not excited to work with Ironwood, but Glynda had a point

"How did they slip her under our radar? We scoured every possible nook in all the kingdoms," he asked finally.

"We don't know. Her paperwork makes the story untraceable. She's an orphan from a village outside the walls that was ravaged by Grimms. After being rescued she went from orphan basic school to… one of the LDS branches, some scholarship program they have, and was scouted for the Academy after winning some local tournaments and… Ironwood says she showed no signs of recognizing Ozpin." she said reading a file that she then passed to him.

He read everything, hoping that Glynda missed something, but she was right. Nothing about her life story was abnormal, not even the Grimm-ravaged village story was unusual.

And orphans were all too common in Remnant.

"There _is_ something off with these documents," spoke Glynda after a while. "They all mention at some point Jean-Michel Roget."

"The Mistral Diplomat?" he asked, a little baffled. Shuzo had never met the man, but he was famous for having risen through the ranks of bureaucracy from scratch. "Isn't he too… important to meddle with such affairs?" After all, he was not known to be charitable or even a pleasant person to be around.

Unless you had something he wanted.

"I've checked his background. As it turns out, he does fund raising for a couple foster homes programs. He claims to be an orphan himself, and wanting to help people like him to have better opportunities," informed Glynda, with a click of her tongue making her disbelief clear.

"Then is it another dead-end?" he asked.

"Not quite," she replied, handing over an envelope, it was a purple and it had the official seal of the Vytal Festival.

"He… will be Mistral's representative at the Vytal Festival?!" he yelled right after he read its contents

"One can only wonder how much money he threw around for the position, but if he's here, we can monitor him."

"Leave it to me," he offered.

"Can't be done," she refused. "We already have someone keeping tabs on him. We need you on a much more important mission."

 **-oOo-**

"Hey Dad! We finished with the garden, and- Hi Professor Glynda." She did a small double-take at seeing her seated in her house drinking tea with her Dad.

"Good evening, Miss Hiragi," she saluted.

"Um, hi. Nice seeing you around Professor," she said, aware of her robotic movements and expressions and her muddy clothes and face "How is, um, the school?"

"Quite well," she said, rising from her seat. "Shuzo, this has been a …lovely chat, but I need to head back to the guest house. I'll be taking the first airship to Beacon tomorrow morning," she said, and for the first time, Yuzu noticed the bags under her eyes.

"Oh Miss Glynda, you don't have too. We have a spare room for guests." After all, the guest house was all the way on the other side of the village, and Grimms roamed the forests at night.

"That is very generous of you, Miss Hiragi, but I do not wish to impose," she responded, slipping into a coat.

"It wouldn't be-" She stopped at the feel of a hand on her hair and Yuzu looked up to see the professor with a tiny smile on her lips.

Yuzu had a nostalgic feeling response at her expression.

"You are very kind," she said. "But unfortunately, I already paid for the night. Make sure not to sleep too late Miss Hiragi," she advised as she exited her home.

Yuzu stood frozen in place for a full minute touching her hair before she was brought back to the real world.

"Sorry about that, Yuzu. She had a message from Ozpin," said her Dad.

"Oh! Do tell," she said, hopping in excitement at him.

"Can't do it sweetie. Professionalism, remember?" he teased, winking at her. "So make sure to become a huntress so we can share work anecdotes while we drink," he said from the kitchen, probably checking the food.

"Sure thing Dad," she said, starting to set the plates for dinner while her Dad was bringing a steaming pot of meat and vegetables.

"Still…" he started and Yuzu was slightly taken aback when she noticed the… trembling on his eyes. "No need to hurry up, remember all good things…"

"Take time, yeah I remember." She said with a shrug but she felt her hand being grabbed and there was no more doubts of his earnestness.

"I mean it, Yuya and Gongenzaka and _you_ still have time." He sated again. "No need to hurry up right?" he all but begged.

"Of course Dad, I won't forget." She said a little bewildered at the sudden turn of mood in the chat.

"Good, its promise." He said,

"Yes," she assured him "A promise." She repeated and only until she said so, he let go of her hand

And Yuzu could feel that this was about much more than a silly saying.

* * *

You know they say 13 is a bad luck number right? Mmmm. _*Totally not hinting anything here*_

Well and this is the conclusion for this extra series, I hope you guys enjoyed it, and that this chapter answered some questions (I can't have you knowing ALL the answers just yet can I? ) and also because Shuzo being a dad is a weakness of mine (or really any parent)

The writing of the Volume 2 is well and good, already have the Prologue done, but I need to write ahead some chapters or else my anxiety (and with it the writer's block) will get ahold of me.

See you soon!


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